The Oklahoma Sooners are set to take on the Texas Longhorns in the biggest game of the season. This has brought up a lot of questions about how good Oklahoma’s gunslinger is in big games.
Many have thought [autotag]Dillon Gabriel[/autotag] just doesn’t get it done when the game matters most. But what do the numbers say?
For this, we have to establish what are “big” games.
Let’s look at games against teams that were ranked when they played Oklahoma or a rival. The only exception to this is the Kansas State Wildcats last year who were not ranked when they played the Sooners but of course, we know the Wildcats went on to win the Big 12.
So, the games we’ll focus on are against the Nebraska Cornhuskers, [autotag]Kansas State Wildcats[/autotag], [autotag]Kansas Jayhawks[/autotag], [autotag]Oklahoma State Cowboys[/autotag] and the [autotag]Florida State Seminoles[/autotag]. In those games, Gabriel completed 61% of his passes, averaged 346 total yards, had 15 total touchdowns and only had two interceptions. The Sooners were also 3-2 in those games.
The 61% isn’t great. That’s the number that has to be higher. The 346 total yards per game and the 7.5:1.0 touchdown touchdown-to-interception ratio is elite.
For comparison his opponent on Saturday, Quinn Ewers, is completing 57% of his passes, averaging 303 total yards per game, 15 total touchdowns and six interceptions in similar games. His team is 4-3 in such games.
Ewers obviously has the win at Alabama and also played a full game against the TCU Horned Frogs in 2022, but the numbers are at least comparable. This isn’t to say who is better in the big games, instead, it’s to show Gabriel is comparable to what Ewers has done so far in his career.
So, while Gabriel hasn’t been great in big games, he’s been pretty good. He’s been good enough that Oklahoma fans should feel confident heading into the Cotton Bowl. Now, that doesn’t mean he will play well on Saturday. We all know this game is much different than any big game you’ve played in before.
But if there was ever a game Gabriel could put the criticism to rest, this is the game.
Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Jaron on Twitter @JaronSpor.