Can’t miss the layups
Dillon Gabriel looked pretty good against the Bearcats. But it could’ve been a 20+ point win had he connected on a couple of plays to his receivers. Instead, it was a 14-point win in which the defense was near perfect.
Again, he was not bad. But as the competition stiffens and the games have added weight, plays like that must be made.
If given the opportunity to connect for walk-in scores like that, the Sooners have to. Eventually, a team will burn you for missing on those.
For a team like Oklahoma, the big play matters. Gabriel’s average depth of target ranking is 49th out of 68 FBS quarterbacks because they throw so close to the line of scrimmage or behind it.
Teams with better defensive backs will stifle that if the threat of the big play isn’t present. So, completing big plays isn’t just crucial for this game alone but for the remainder of the season.
Now, while doing that, Gabriel needs to walk the thin line between too aggressive and too reckless.
Iowa State has a few defensive backs, Beau Frayler and Jeremiah Cooper, who are playmakers. Being too overzealous could result in multiple interceptions.
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