After Oklahoma’s Decisive 51-0 Victory Over UTEP, John Mateer Had a Special Moment of Comforting EJ Colson Jr. in the Locker Room, Further Demonstrating That on the Court We Are Enemies, But at the End of the Game We Are Just Devoted Sons of the Sport. The 12-Second Video Will Make Fans Feel This Emotion…**
The final score told the story of Oklahoma’s dominance, but it could never tell the entire story of what happened after the game. Oklahoma walked away with a commanding 51-0 victory over UTEP, a result that demonstrated the Sooners’ strength and left their opponents searching for answers. Yet, amid the celebration, handshakes, exhausted players and the noise that naturally follows a one-sided victory, one quiet moment captured the kind of sportsmanship that can sometimes become lost in the intensity of competition.
A brief 12-second video showing John Mateer comforting EJ Colson Jr. in the locker room has begun drawing attention because of the emotion behind the simple gesture. There was no touchdown celebration, no dramatic speech and no attempt to draw attention to himself. Instead, Mateer appeared to recognize that behind the jerseys, helmets and competitive intensity were young athletes who had just experienced two very different sides of the same game.
For Oklahoma, the night represented everything a team hopes for when it steps onto the field. The Sooners controlled the contest from start to finish, producing points while keeping UTEP off the scoreboard. A 51-0 result can be brutal for the team on the losing side, especially when the game reaches its conclusion and there is nowhere left to hide from the scoreboard.
For players such as Colson, however, the experience was about more than a number. Every athlete enters a game carrying preparation, expectations, pride and personal investment. Hours of practice lead to those moments. Mistakes are analyzed, plays are replayed in the mind and losses can remain with a player long after spectators have moved on to the next game.
That is what made Mateer’s gesture so powerful.
The two players may have represented opposing sides during the competition, but once the contest ended, the rivalry no longer mattered in quite the same way. Mateer understood something that every great athlete eventually learns: competition can demand everything from you, but it does not require you to lose your humanity.
The short video reportedly captured a moment in which Mateer offered comfort to Colson, creating an image that stood in sharp contrast to the intensity of the game itself. Twelve seconds may not seem like enough time to tell a story, but sometimes a small gesture communicates more than an entire interview.
There is something deeply human about watching one competitor acknowledge another competitor’s disappointment. It reminds fans that athletes are not simply names on a scoreboard. They are people who experience frustration, disappointment, excitement, pressure and pride just like everyone else.
The moment also highlights an important part of college sports culture that does not always receive enough attention. Rivalries are built on competition. Players are expected to fight for their teams, challenge one another and refuse to give an inch while the clock is running. That competitive mentality is part of what makes sports compelling.
But when the whistle blows and the game is over, the person standing across from you is no longer simply an opponent.
He is another athlete who understands the sacrifice required to compete.
He is someone who has spent countless hours training, studying film, practicing fundamentals and preparing for the exact moment that eventually arrived. He understands the nerves before kickoff and the physical exhaustion afterward. He knows what it feels like to make a mistake in front of thousands of people and to have an entire stadium react to the result.
That shared understanding can create a bond between competitors that spectators do not always see.
Mateer’s decision to comfort Colson after such a decisive Oklahoma victory therefore carried an emotional significance that went beyond the game itself. Oklahoma had already secured the victory. There was nothing left to prove. In that environment, showing compassion did not weaken the meaning of the win. If anything, it demonstrated the maturity required to understand what victory actually means.
Winning is important. Every competitor wants to win. Coaches build entire programs around the pursuit of victory, and players dedicate their lives to reaching the highest possible level.
But sports are also about relationships, character and the experiences that remain after the scoreboard has been forgotten.
The 51-0 score will eventually become another result in the history books. Fans will remember Oklahoma’s performance, the plays that produced points and the defensive effort that kept UTEP from scoring. But moments such as the one involving Mateer and Colson can remain memorable for an entirely different reason.
They remind people why they love sports in the first place.
The image of a player comforting someone from the opposing team demonstrates that competition does not have to eliminate compassion. Two athletes can battle fiercely during a game and still recognize one another’s humanity afterward. In fact, that may be one of the purest expressions of sportsmanship.
Fans often talk about rivalries as if they are personal wars. Players are called enemies, opponents are booed and every possession or play is treated as a battle. That language makes for exciting television and passionate stadium environments, but the athletes themselves often understand the relationship differently.
They compete because they respect the challenge.
They push one another because the game demands it.
And when it is over, they can walk away with an appreciation for what the other person endured.
That appears to be the emotion behind Mateer’s moment with Colson.
There was no need for a grand gesture. Sometimes all it takes is a hand on the shoulder, a few words or a quiet acknowledgment that says, “I understand.” In a game where one team experienced the exhilaration of a 51-point victory and the other experienced the pain of a shutout, that simple act of compassion carried enormous weight.
The 12-second video is powerful precisely because it is so short. It does not need an elaborate explanation. Viewers can see the contrast for themselves. The game had been fiercely competitive, but the aftermath revealed something much softer.
It is easy for fans to celebrate the winner. It is natural to praise the players who scored touchdowns, made big plays and contributed to a dominant performance. Those moments deserve recognition.
But there is also something worth celebrating about the athlete who remembers to look across the divide after the competition ends.
John Mateer’s gesture toward EJ Colson Jr. offered that reminder.
At the end of the day, both players are part of the same sport. They wear different colors and fight for different teams, but they share the same journey. They understand the sacrifices that come with being an athlete, the pressure of performing and the emotional highs and lows that accompany competition.
For a few seconds inside the locker room, the rivalry disappeared.
What remained were two athletes.
One had just experienced a spectacular victory. The other had just endured a difficult defeat. And in that moment, the winner chose not to celebrate at the expense of the loser. Instead, he offered comfort.
That is the kind of moment that transcends a final score.
Oklahoma’s 51-0 victory will certainly be remembered for its dominance, but Mateer’s interaction with Colson offers a different kind of memory. It shows that fierce competitors can still be compassionate human beings, and that sportsmanship can sometimes speak louder than victory celebrations.
The scoreboard may say Oklahoma won by 51 points.
The 12-second video says something much bigger: competitors can be enemies for the duration of the game, but when the game is over, they are still devoted sons of the same sport.
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