Matthew "Matt" Saracen is a fictional character in the NBC/DirecTV (The 101 Network) television drama series Friday Night Lights portrayed by the actor Zach Gilford.
He is the former backup quarterback of the Dillon High School Panthers before being thrust into the starting spotlight after Jason Street suffers a career-ending injury.
"[1] However, the term is never explicitly mentioned in the show, leading him to become distant and uncaring of his family, which deeply hurts Matt.
During his senior year of high school, in season 3, Matt slowly begins reconnecting with his mother, who desperately wants to be a part of her son's life again.
Matt is something of an "anti-jock" who "listens to Bob Dylan and draws pictures"[2] and is generally out of place with his teammates, such as Smash Williams and Tim Riggins, who are often seen hanging around girls or at parties, and even his predecessor, the charismatic and popular Jason Street.
Crushed by Jason's injury, the town and particularly the team booster club force Coach Taylor to find a new quarterback because they do not believe that Matt can get the job done.
However, Voodoo's inability to be a team player and temper causes Coach Taylor to bench him and give the starting position back to Matt.
Jason is seen giving advice and encouraging him at the state semifinals against the Vikings, playing in pouring rain and a muddy field.
[5] Saracen finishes his sophomore season with a 60% completion percentage, 2,586 yards, 19 touchdowns, 5 interceptions, and a 121.3 quarterback rating.
In the state championship game, he passes for 283 yards and 2 touchdowns in leading the Panthers to a 27–26 epic comeback victory over West Cambria High School.
Season 2 begins with Matt's relationship with Julie, who stays in Dillon with her mom while Coach Taylor lives in Austin, falling apart.
A night at the strip club with Tim ends early when Matt's grandmother has an accident at home and is taken to the hospital.
[4] Matt agrees to stay on the team and sit on the bench, though he eventually convinces Coach to allow him to play wide receiver.
After being held scoreless in the first half, the Panthers take the lead due to Matt's strong play, but they lose on the final possession when the other team kicks a field goal.
During the season, Matt slowly begins reconnecting with his mother, whom he sets out to find to become an emancipated minor and take care of his grandmother's medical issues.
He once confides to his mother after being benched that he never wanted to play in college and felt undeserving to be starting quarterback at all, given the circumstances leading to him becoming "QB1".
He begins to realize that his past in Dillon is holding him back, finally admitting this on a hunting trip with Tim Riggins.
Upon hearing the news that his father was killed in action in the war, a devastated Matt attempts to make sense of his life.
After military compensation for his father's death (along with life insurance) is enough for his grandma to live comfortably, Matt abruptly leaves for Chicago to finally attend the School of the Art Institute of Chicago—without telling either Julie or Landry.
Julie still cares for Matt and wants to go with him, but she declines, saying that upending her life to follow him to Chicago will prevent her from pursuing her own dreams.