The Oklahoma Sooners are enjoying a well-deserved bye week after knocking off a top-five Texas Longhorns squad.
The Sooners have become a team to watch in the second half of the season as they took control of the Big 12 title race. At the forefront of the Sooners’ victory in the Cotton Bowl and their 6-0 start is Dillon Gabriel, who’s thrust himself into the Heisman Trophy race conversation.
The ESPN “College GameDay” crowd was in Seattle on Saturday morning to get ready for a top-10 matchup between Washington and Oregon. On the set, they talked Heisman Trophy contenders, which included quarterbacks Michael Penix and Bo Nix, the two quarterbacks set to face off in their game of the week.
However, when the discussion turned to veteran analyst Kirk Herbstreit, he had glowing things to say about Dillon Gabriel.
“And there’s only been one team and one game and one player that’s had that Heisman moment at this point,” Herbstreit said Saturday morning on GameDay. “And to me, that was Dillon Gabriel last week and what he did at the Cotton Bowl. Game was on the line looked like they were going to lose. He ends up making the plays that ultimately decided the outcome of the game. And that’s to me, you (Desmond Howard) won the Heisman. You know what that’s like. I mean, when you’re in a rivalry game, the whole world is watching. Right? And you delivered the way Dillon Gabriel did running the football, throwing the football. That, to me, he’s at the top right now. I don’t know what the odds are. I guess what was the fourth or fifth? But in my mind, Dillon Gabriel is up at the top.”
Gabriel was perfect on “The Drive” to help the Oklahoma Sooners beat the Texas Longhorns. He was 4-for-4 for 58 yards and showed incredible poise on the final throw when it looked like he was about to get swallowed up by the Texas pass rush.
Dillon Gabriel is off to a phenomenal start to the season. According to OU Football, he’s the only player in the last 25 years to complete at least 72% of his passes, throw for at least 16 touchdowns, rush for 200 yards, and run for five scores. That’s an incredible feat considering the number of great dual-threat quarterbacks to grace college football.
It’s always #DIMETIME 🎯@_dillongabriel_ | #OUDNA pic.twitter.com/fdXhOR0ao6
— Oklahoma Football (@OU_Football) October 13, 2023
Michael Penix is having a great game against the Oregon Ducks as we write this and will likely stay on top in the Heisman race. Caleb Williams will play in South Bend in the late games, which will provide the former Sooners quarterback an opportunity to make his case.
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