Tag: 2023 Oklahoma Sooners

Dillon Gabriel named to top 25 for the 2023 Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award

Dillon Gabriel was named top 25 for the 2023 Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award.

It’s almost time for one of the greatest rivalries in all of college football. This year is going to look a lot different than last year’s [autotag]Red River Rivalry[/autotag].

Mainly because of the man under center for the Oklahoma Sooners. Dillon Gabriel missed last year’s game after suffering a concussion the week prior vs. the TCU Horned Frogs.

Gabriel has had a fantastic start to the season completing 75% of his passes for 1,593 yards, 15 touchdowns and only two interceptions. He’s also ran for 95 yards and added four more scores.

This has put him in the top 25 for the 2023 Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award. This award is given to the nation’s top upperclassmen quarterback in college football. Jason White, in 2004, is the only Sooner to ever win the award.

Gabriel hopes to be the second Sooner to win it and a big way to do that is playing big this weekend. If he puts together a big performance against a top-five team in the country, he could become the favorite for the award.

Gabriel is joined by Texas Longhorns quarterback Quinn Ewers and Kansas State Wildcats Will Howard as the only Big 12 schools to make the list. While Gabriel is playing at a high level, it’s not to be expected for him to continue to play at that level.

Completing 75% of your passes is just unheard of but if he can continue with the yards and 7.5:1 touchdown touchdown-to-interception ratio then he’ll have as good a chance as anyone to win the award.

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Oklahoma Sooners need its running game operating at a high level Saturday

The Oklahoma Sooners running game has been up and down but it needs to get going on Saturday.

Through five games this season, there hasn’t been much to complain about if you are an Oklahoma Sooners fan. The one negative so far, though, has been the running game.

Last year, the Sooners had a top-10 running game. This year many thought the running game could be better. The offensive line had another year in the system, and they are deeper at the running back position. Instead, they are tied for 63rd in the nation.

McKade Mettauer talked about the importance of winning the line of scrimmage with reporters after practice on Monday.

“This game always comes down to the line of scrimmage,” Mettauer said. “On both sides of the ball, offense and defense, the game is going to be decided on the line of scrimmage. So, if we’re able to move those guys and our defense is able to knock back that offensive line that has decided the game most years. I think it’s going to do the same this year.”

The last game and a half, the Sooners rushing attack saw a little bit of life. We started to see some holes that weren’t there early in the season. Marcus Major has started to find his footing running the ball.

The issue is we aren’t seeing the explosive runs we are used to seeing. Any time Oklahoma has busted a big run, it’s been called back for holding. That’s something they have to do a better job at on Saturday.

If they do, Oklahoma has a good chance of walking out of the Cotton Bowl with the Golden Hat.

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Dillon Gabriel looking forward to making up for last year’s Red River Rivalry

After missing the game last year, Dillon Gabriel is ready to make an impact in his first OU-Texas game.

It was 2022 and the Oklahoma Sooners were set to take on the Texas Longhorns in the 118th edition of the rivalry game. [autotag]Dillon Gabriel[/autotag] went out for his pregame routine in anticipation of the game.

Gabriel, who was concussed the week before, seemed like a long shot to play in that game. But he was still going through warmups, causing confusion on if he would play or not. Ultimately when the Sooners came back out of the locker room, Gabriel would not be dressed in uniform.

The Sooners would go on to lose 49-0 with backup [autotag]Davis Beville[/autotag] in at quarterback and the offense mostly running the wildcat. Gabriel now gets his first shot in the game.

He told reporters he’s not putting any extra emphasis on this game.

“I think naturally they’ll try to make this one a big one, rightfully so. Two great teams going at it. But for me, I’m just continuing to take it day by day, prepare my butt off and make sure I’m ready to go come Saturday at 11:00 a.m.,” Gabriel said.

Gabriel has been stellar through the first five games of the season. He’s completing 75% of his passes for nearly 1,600 yards and has thrown 15 touchdowns. He’s also started to use his legs more, rushing for 95 yards and four scores.

But one critique on Gabriel even back to his [autotag]UCF Knights[/autotag] days was his play in big games. There’s no bigger game he’s played up to this point than the one on Saturday. If he plays well in that one, he can put all of the other criticism to bed.

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‘Past has nothing to do with the present’: Drake Stoops ready to put last year behind them

After a 49-0 loss last season, Drake Stoops and Co. are ready to put that loss behind them.

Since 1999, nearly 25 years, the Oklahoma Sooners vs. the Texas Longhorns has featured a Stoops. That streak will most likely come to an end next year as [autotag]Drake Stoops[/autotag] gears up for one final showdown with the team down south.

Stoops is a sixth-year senior and currently leads the Sooners with 25 receptions on the season. He’s also second on the team in touchdowns with four.

He talked to reporters about just how special this rivalry is.

“It’s a very historic series,” Stoops said. “One of the greatest rivalries in all of college football. But the past has nothing to do with the present, so we’re just focusing on this week. Focusing on today, tomorrow will be focusing on Tuesday, and when Saturday comes, we’ll focus on an 11:00 a.m. kick.”

Stoops has had several big moments in this game, whether it was his game-winning touchdown catch in the fourth overtime in 2020 or his two-point conversion catch to tie it up after the Sooners were down 28-7 in 2021.

But after a 49-0 win by the Longhorns a year ago, Stoops said that was something they thought about this summer.

“That left a bad taste in all of our mouths,” Stoops said. “But at the end of the day, we want to go 1-0 each week, and that’s the goal. So, we want to go 1-0 this week, and like I said, the past has nothing to do with the present. So here we are this year, and we’re ready to put our best foot forward and go to battle.”

A battle it most certainly will be between two of the remaining unbeaten teams in college football.

Just as it should be.

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‘We’re not a championship team, right now’: Brent Venables sees improvement but knows there’s still work to do

Brent Venables knows what a championship team looks like and know his team has work to do.

The Oklahoma Sooners have started the season undefeated through five games after a win over the [autotag]Iowa State Cyclones[/autotag]. The Sooners’ offense was on fire from start to finish on Saturday.

Defensively, the Sooners had some breakdowns in the first 21 minutes of the game. Not something they’d experienced before. After that, they responded, looking like the dominant team of previous weeks.

Brent Venables talked with reporters after the game, and he said being 5-0 is a great start, but there’s still work to be done. “We’re not a championship team right now,” Venables said. “But this was another step in trying to get there. I love the will and the fight and the toughness and the leadership.”

The improvement of Team 129 is evident. This game was a perfect example of that.

Last year, and really in the last seven years, that’s a game that is still up for grabs in the fourth quarter. It’s a game that turns into a shootout because the team doesn’t make the necessary adjustments to stop Iowa State’s offense.

The Sooners shut out the Cyclones in the last 39 minutes of the game while also going on a 29-0 run to close out the game. They allowed just over 80 yards in the second half after allowing nearly 300 yards in the first.

This team isn’t perfect. They probably aren’t elite either. But it’s headed in the right direction.

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‘They tried to take our pride from us last year’: Jayden Gibson on the difference between Team 128 and Team 129

The Oklahoma Sooners are continuing to show growth in Year 2 under Brent Venables. Jayden Gibson’s seen the difference.

It’s no secret last year was a disappointing season for the standard of Oklahoma Sooners football. The Sooners went 6-7 in Brent Venables’ first year as head coach marking the first losing season since 1998.

A lot of questions were brought up in the offseason about if Venables was the man for the program. Through five games this season, he’s done nothing but put an end to those concerns.

[autotag]Jayden Gibson[/autotag] was a true freshman on that team a season ago. He told reporters, there’s a different feeling this year.

“I feel like this year, we’re just not going for any of that soft stuff,” Gibson said. “We’re going hard. If someone punches you in the mouth, you punch back. I remember some games we got punched in the mouth, and we never recovered.”

Saturday’s game was a perfect example of how the team is responding to adversity this season.

The Sooners got punched in the mouth early in the game as the Cyclones made it a 21-20 game with around nine minutes to go in the second quarter. The Sooners punched back by not allowing a point the rest of the way and closed the game on a 29-0 run.

As for Gibson, he’s ready to put the noise to rest.

“They tried to take our pride from us last year,” Gibson said. “They said that we were sorry, we were not OU. I’m not here for any of that.”

Gibson is one of a number of players in the midst of a breakout season. The sophomore wide receiver seems to make a huge play each week. Against, Iowa State it was no different. He came up big on a fourth down target, hauling in the Dillon Gabriel pass and breaking a number of tackles to get into the end zone for his second touchdown of the season.

Gibson’s only caught six balls, but he’s making the most of each reception, averaging 26.5 yards per catch. And with each big play, he’s flashing his incredible future with the Oklahoma Sooners.

Eventually, though, that future will become the present as he earns more and more snaps this season.

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ESPN’s College GameDay headed to Dallas for Oklahoma vs. Texas

All eyes will be on the Cotton Bowl for the 119th Red River Rivalry game as ESPN’s College GameDay will be in attendance in Dallas.

As the Oklahoma Sooners and the Texas Longhorns both wrapped up 5-0 starts to their seasons, it’s now time to look ahead to the greatest rivalry game in college football. The Sooners and the Longhorns will battle it out for the 119th time and also the final time as [autotag]Big 12[/autotag] foes.

Next year both schools will be heading to the [autotag]SEC[/autotag]. This is the first time since the 2011 season both teams will go into this game undefeated. This has historically been a measuring stick game for both schools. It’s the game where you discover what your team is made of.

The Longhorns dominated the Sooners last season, winning 49-0. [autotag]Dillon Gabriel[/autotag] didn’t play due to a concussion he suffered the week before. This year fans hope for a different result.

On hand to watch it all play out next Saturday will be [autotag]ESPN’s College GameDay[/autotag]. They announced Saturday night they will be heading to Dallas for the historic game.

This will be the 10th time the GameDay crew has made the trip to the [autotag]Cotton Bowl[/autotag]. The last time they were there was in 2021, when the Sooners overcame a 28-7 deficit to win the game. That game famously was the coming out party for [autotag]Caleb Williams[/autotag].

This time it feels like the winner sets themselves up perfectly not only for the [autotag]Big 12 Championship[/autotag] game but also for a [autotag]College Football Playoff[/autotag] berth.

Just as the good Lord intended it.

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Sooners offense shines, defense settles in as Oklahoma beats the Iowa State 50-20

Oklahoma Sooners put together another strong performance knocking off the Iowa State Cyclones, 50-20.

The Oklahoma Sooners took on the [autotag]Iowa State Cyclones[/autotag] in their conference home opener in Norman on Saturday and came away with a huge 50-20 win to move to 5-0 on the season and 2-0 in Big 12 play.

The Sooners had a great start to the game as [autotag]Billy Bowman[/autotag] picked off [autotag]Rocco Becht[/autotag] and took it back for a touchdown on the first drive of the game. Iowa State came right back with a 51-yard strike on a 3rd and 18 on a busted coverage.

The Sooners took their first drive right down the field to answer. [autotag]Dillon Gabriel[/autotag] led the 75-yard drive and capped it off with a one-yard touchdown run. The Sooners immediately gave up a huge run but ultimately held the Cyclones’ offense to a field goal.

Oklahoma got a touchdown on their next possession as Gabriel hit a wide-open [autotag]Nic Anderson[/autotag] for 39 yards.

But then another defensive bust led to a 67-yard touchdown for the Cyclones. After a missed field goal by Zach Schmit, the Cyclones cut the game to one on a field goal of their own.

But the Sooners responded as Gabriel hit [autotag]Jalil Farooq[/autotag] for 46 yards. Gabriel ran it in from six yards out on the next play to make it 28-20 and the Sooners never looked back.

On the Cyclones ensuing drive, Oklahoma got a stop and then Peyton Bowen blocked his second punt of the season. After Trace Ford was unable to recover the blocked kick, the ball rolled out of bounds for a safety.

On their next drive, the Sooners put three more points on the board to go up 33-20.

Gentry Williams picked off Becht on the Cyclones’ next drive. Gabriel then found Stoops to end the half with the Sooners up 40-20.

Oklahoma outgained the Cyclones 340 to 272 in the first half.

The Sooners started the second half where they left off as Gabriel found [autotag]Jayden Gibson[/autotag] on a 41-yard touchdown pass on 4th down. It was an incredible display of balance and athleticism as Gibson bounced off of several would-be tacklers to get into the end zone and extend Oklahoma’s lead to 47-20.

After that, it was a defensive showdown for both teams for the rest of the quarter. The Sooners ended the quarter with a 4th down stop and took a 27-point lead to the fourth.

In the fourth quarter, Oklahoma was content to simply run the clock out. Though they only added a field goal, in the fourth, they did a great job milking the clock and holding strong on defense to close out the game.

They outgained the Cyclones 523 to 352, allowing only 80 yards in the second half.

Dillon Gabriel was fantastic yet again for the Oklahoma Sooners. He completed 67% of his passes for 367 yards and three touchdown passes. He also carried the ball eight times for 37 yards and two scores.

Jalil Farooq led the receiving corps with five receptions for 81 yards on the day. Brenen Thompson saw his first action as a Sooner with two catches for 62 yards and a touchdown.

Defensively, the Oklahoma Sooners shut down the Cyclones after allowing 20 points in the first 21 minutes of game time. The Sooners held Iowa State to just 4 of 15 on third down. They held Rocco Becht to a completion rate of 45% and limited the damage after the early coverage issues.

For the first time this season, a team found some success on the ground. Iowa State ran for 150 yards and 5.6 yards per carry. However in the second half, the Sooners held the Cyclones to 2.63 yards per carry.

The Sooners remain unbeaten, setting up the [autotag]Red River Rivalry[/autotag].

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.

Dillon Gabriel top 5 in College Sports Wire’s Heisman Poll

Dillon Gabriel is off to a strong season and has found him in the running for a prestigious award.

The Oklahoma Sooners are off to a 4-0 start after winning on the road against Big 12 newcomer the [autotag]Cincinnati Bearcats[/autotag]. [autotag]Dillon Gabriel[/autotag] has played a huge part in that start.

He’s thrown for 1,227 yards on 10.4 yards per attempt. He’s also thrown 12 touchdowns and one interception and completing 78% of his passes. Some will point to the level of competition, but the fact is he wasn’t putting up these types of numbers a season ago. There are very few in all of college football that have been as productive as Oklahoma’s quarterback.

His start to the season has put him on College Sports Wire’s first Heisman poll of the season, coming in at No. 5. Gabriel has the eighth-best odds to win the Heisman, according to BetMGM.

Gabriel returned for a fifth year in college football after Oklahoma fell short of expectations with a 6-7 season. Gabriel is among the active passing leaders, just behind Notre Dame’s Sam Hartman. The offense has shown improvement with his efficient play. As Big 12 play ramps up, we will find out if the Sooners offense can keep it rolling. A big test looms next week against Texas. – College Sports Wire staff

As they said, the key game is against the Texas Longhorns. If Gabriel has a strong showing that week the [autotag]Heisman[/autotag] talk will only grow If he plays poorly, it’ll be hard for him to get back into the running by season’s end.

As for now, there’s no doubt you can see the growth in Gabriel’s game. He looks more confident. He looks like he has a strong connection with his receivers. He knows when to take the shots and when to just not make a mistake because of how well the defense is playing.

That’s what you want from your quarterback. Sure, he needs to make some of the layup throws like the ones to [autotag]Jalil Farooq[/autotag] and [autotag]Jayden Gibson[/autotag] against the Bearcats that would have resulted in touchdowns.

He’s not a perfect player, but he’s playing at a high level so far.

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Danny Stutsman among 247Sports breakout stars in 2023

Danny Stutsman continues to put together a great season and his work isn’t going unnoticed.

The Oklahoma Sooners defense has been the talk of the town in the 2023 season. The defense currently ranks No. 2 in the nation in scoring and has allowed its fewest total points in three decades.

The head of that has been linebacker [autotag]Danny Stutsman[/autotag]. Stutsman ranks 11th in the nation in total tackles and 5th in tackles for loss.

There’s no question he’s playing at an [autotag]All-American[/autotag] and [autotag]Butkus Award[/autotag] type of level. The season he’s put in so far isn’t going unnoticed nationally, either.

Stutsman’s season has earned him a spot on 247Sports’ list of breakout stars.

Last season, Oklahoma ranked 94th nationally last season in rushing yards allowed per play. This year, the Sooners are allowing 2.69 yards per attempt, which ranks 15th nationally. There are a lot of people you could credit with that jump, but the spark has been Danny Stutsman. The MIKE linebacker has totaled 43 tackles, 8 TFLs, 2 sacks and an interception in just four games. His PFF run grade ranks fourth nationally among all linebackers, and his 20 “stops” rank among the top 10. Stutsman had great numbers last season – a Big 12-best 125 tackles – but he, like the rest of the Sooners defense, struggled with missed tackles and had issues against the run. That’s completely turned around in 2023. Stutsman is better against the pass, too. Right now, Stutsman is the centerpiece of one of the best defensive turnarounds in college football and is the best ‘backer Oklahoma’s had in several years. – Chris Hummer 247Sports

It’s still early in the season, so we’ll see if he and the defense can continue to play at this high of a level. But if Stutsman continues to play the way he’s been, he’s definitely going to be a household name nationally by the end of the year.

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