Dillon Gabriel's 2023 Second on Top Five Player Seasons Under Brent Venables at Oklahoma
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He wasn't the biggest, the fastest, or the most talented, but Dillon Gabriel was exactly what Oklahoma and Brent Venables needed.
Following an era defined by elite quarterback play under Bob Stoops and Lincoln Riley, OU's move to Venables brought questions whether top signal callers would be drawn to Norman. Gabriel answered the call and performed well in 2022, but 2023 would be his finest hour.
His 42 total touchdowns with 30 through the air to only six interceptions stand alone as the best quarterback season in the Venables era by a comfortable margin. Venables' first 10-win season is thanks in large part to Gabriel's play.
The win over Texas in 2023 alone puts Gabriel into Sooner lore – his total season output puts him third on the list of single-season performances under Venables.
There was no doubt that Gabriel needed to be better after 2022. Statistically, Gabriel was fairly good with 25 touchdowns and six interceptions – adding six scores on the ground. But a six-win season at OU is a disaster, and despite Gabriel missing one and a half games of the season, he presided over that disaster.
Gabriel's 2023 not only proved the former UCF quarterback could do it at a big school like Oklahoma, but that he could be an elite college quarterback.
Top Five Player Single-Seasons Under Brent Venables
Oklahoma did exactly what they were supposed to do in their first five games of 2023 – win them all. Gabriel passed for 15 scores and only one interception as Venables' squad showed clear signs of progress in its second year.
But then came the Cotton Bowl – a place Gabriel couldn't play in the previous season thanks to a concussion.
Gabriel scored on a quarterback keeper early in the first quarter. The quick start set the tone for OU and Gabriel.
With Texas boasting a No. 3 ranking, Oklahoma's quick start would be answered by a strong Longhorn team. While there was no blowout happening on this day, it appeared the back-and-forth affair would ultimately belong to the team with the ball last.
After losing the lead for the first time in an epic game, Gabriel and the Sooners got the ball with a little over a minute to go in the game down three.
It would become a drive for the ages.
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Gabriel ran and threw Oklahoma downfield to give OU serious hope that an upset win was on the horizon. Speaking of running, Gabriel rushed for 113 yards and a touchdown in this game – the most an Oklahoma quarterback earned on the ground against Texas since Jalen Hurts' 131 yards and a touchdown in 2019.
Gabriel found himself three yards away from glory.
The box score reads "Nic Anderson 3 Yd pass from Gabriel," but that undersells how impactful the moment was.
Gabriel found Anderson alone in the corner of the end zone for a rather easy pitch and catch that vaulted OU past Texas for good. The win put Oklahoma in the driver's seat in the Big 12 – a status they would lose on the road in Lawrence and Stillwater a few weeks later.
While OU failed to maintain its momentum from a victory in Dallas, Gabriel still led the team to a 10-2 regular season record.
Without Gabriel, Venables' first two seasons would be much different. From an optics standpoint, Gabriel helped maintain Oklahoma's reputation as a quarterback factory in the wake of losing eventual Heisman winner Caleb Williams, who followed Riley to USC.
Despite Gabriel transferring to Oregon, his 2023 season – specifically his late-game heroics against Texas – will always be on the minds of Oklahoma fans for years to come.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/oklahoma as Dillon Gabriel's 2023 Second on Top Five Player Seasons Under Brent Venables at Oklahoma.
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