[autotag]Dillon Gabriel[/autotag] trotted onto the field down three with 1:17 left in the game and the ball at his own 25-yard line. After scoring on the first possession of the half, the Oklahoma Sooners had been shut out on four straight possessions.
Oklahoma’s top wide receiver [autotag]Andrel Anthony[/autotag] had been ruled out with an injury. One of the Sooners’ most experienced linemen, [autotag]McKade Mettauer[/autotag], had also been lost for the game. The odds were against Gabriel.
What he did next will go down in [autotag]Red River Rivalry[/autotag] history.
Gabriel led the Sooners on a five-play, 75-yard touchdown drive in 1:02, to put the Sooners up, 34-30, with 15 seconds left on the clock. Gabriel went 4-for-4 for 58 yards and ran for another three yards, setting up the game-winning touchdown pass to [autotag]Nic Anderson[/autotag].
Gabriel talked about the final play after the game.
“Just saw the corner clamp and saw Nic in the back of the end zone,” Gabriel said. “That’s what we practice week in and week out, and just proud of everybody coming together. Just controlling the chaos and just dialing it in. That’s big-time football and something you dream of as a little kid.”
Gabriel finished the game 23-for-38 for 285 yards and one touchdown while also rushing 14 times for 113 yards and a touchdown. He registered a QBR of 93 in the win. A QBR of 100 is perfect; 93 is phenomenal.
It was arguably his best game as a Sooner. He shined when they needed him most. A player who’s been hotly debated among fans, certainly earned his flowers after this game. If they didn’t love Gabriel before, I’m sure they do now.
He told ESPN’s Holly Rowe after the game this is why he came to Oklahoma.
“This is what OU football is all about,” Gabriel said. “This is why I came here, this game.”
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