In a week chock-full of storylines for the 118th edition of the Red River Showdown, quite possibly the biggest storyline ahead of this week’s matchup is the availability of Dillon Gabriel.
Gabriel is in the concussion protocol following a vicious hit he suffered in the loss to TCU that left him motionless on the field for a brief time. If Dillon Gabriel is unable to clear the protocol for this week’s matchup, which feels unlikely, then the Sooners would turn to Davis Beville for the start.
Beville, who transferred in from Pitt this offseason, has thrown 50 passes across three seasons, completing 62.8% of his passes for 301 yards, 1 touchdown, 1 interception, and averaged 6 yards per attempt.
He’s got some experience. His most extended run came in the Peach Bowl when he came in for the injured Nick Patti. Patti was starting after Kenny Pickett opted out to prepare for the 2022 NFL draft.
In the 31-21 loss, Beville was 14 of 18 for 149 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. As the backup through the first five games of the season, if Beville is the starter for the Sooners this weekend, the expectations don’t change for offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby.
“With Davis moving forward, it’s our job to put guys in a position of success regardless of who’s out there,” Lebby said on Monday. “We’ve talked a bunch about that as a unit and as a staff. Regardless of who’s playing, man, our expectation is to play well and play cleaner and play better.”
All of what he says is true. Everyone on the offense needs to play better for the Oklahoma Sooners to win the Red River Showdown. While the early returns from Beville haven’t been great, he does have some experience he can lean into to set him up for success against the Texas Longhorns.
“The thing is, more than anything, is just having experience,” Lebby said when asked what Beville brings to the table. “Man, being able to pull from some of the things that he’s gone through that’s gotten him to this point. You know, playing in some big games prior to this.”
While his experience is limited, it’s far more than what General Booty or Nick Evers brings to the table. Neither Booty nor Evers has started a game at the FBS level. Brent Venables mentioned that they’re going to make sure to give each of their three quarterbacks some reps this week to have everyone ready to play.
It’s the most important game of the season because it’s the next game of the season for Brent Venables and the Oklahoma Sooners. In desperate need of a win, the Sooners are hoping that one of their quarterbacks rising to the occasion to help lead them to a win over their Red River Rivals.
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