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Jackson Arnold Starts Second Half at QB for Oklahoma at BYU

The true freshman started the second half at BYU as Dillon Gabriel stayed in the locker room following a hard hit just before halftime.

Ross Lovelace

Jackson Arnold Starts Second Half at QB for Oklahoma at BYU
Jackson Arnold Starts Second Half at QB for Oklahoma at BYU /
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It'll be up to Jackson Arnold to lead Oklahoma to victory.

Dillon Gabriel didn't come out of the locker room for warm-ups before the second half began, so freshman quarterback Jackson Arnold is on the field in relief. 

Gabriel was hit hard on a quarterback run late in the second half, and that's believed to be the play that could keep him out. There's no official injury report, but an OU spokesman said Gabriel is unlikely to return to Saturday's game.

OU is 0-2 all-time against BYU, and the Cougars have infamously faced backup quarterbacks in all three games.

Now, the Sooners turn to true freshman 5-star Jackson Arnold, possibly for the rest of the game. 

The Sooners are currently tied 17-17 on the road in a must-win game. For Oklahoma's Big 12 Championship hopes to stay alive, the Sooners must find a way to win in Provo against BYU.

For Arnold, this also means his redshirt is now burned. This will be Arnold's fifth game played in this season. Brent Venables mentioned last week that the Sooners would prefer to redshirt Arnold, but all of that is out the window now. 

Winning on the road against BYU and keeping the Big 12 hopes alive is clearly more important for the Sooners at this stage of the season.

Gabriel's reported concussion comes at a rough time for the Sooners, as the signal caller was one of the few positives for Oklahoma in the first half. Gabriel threw for 191 yards and two touchdowns on 13-of-21 passing and led each of Oklahoma's first half touchdown drives.

Gabriel was in the midst of an unbelievable season, coming into this game with 3,069 passing yards and 25 touchdowns. He's taken care of the ball at a premium, throwing just five interceptions. In addition to the passing attack, Gabriel has 11 total rushing touchdowns.

This isn't the first time Gabriel has dealt with a concussion, as he was hit hard and late against TCU last season. That hit to the head cost him a Red River Rivalry game, and the Sooners lost both games that Gabriel was knocked out of.

Oklahoma's starting quarterback was coming off of the best performance of his career, settling a university record for most touchdowns in a game with eight. Gabriel was named the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week, leading the Sooners to a blowout victory over West Virginia.

Arnold, a true-freshman, has had a fantastic season in mop-up duty, but has never played in an environment like this with the stakes so high. In four games, he has 169 passing yards on 13-of-15 passing with two touchdowns. Arnold also has a rushing touchdown, as the Sooners experimented with him as a wildcat option early in the season.

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Ross Lovelace
ROSS LOVELACE

Experience Ross is a young, up-and-coming sports reporter who has covered the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Oklahoma Sooners over the past six years. He's made guest appearances on various radio stations and has helped out with the All Sooners podcast whenever he gets the chance. Ross enjoys public speaking and has done so at multiple churches and high schools across the OKC metro area. In addition to writing, Ross has been the Play-by-Play announcer for Crossings’ basketball and football programs since 2020. In high school, Ross worked for self-starter blogs and latched onto Thunder Digest, where he discovered his passion for writing. From there, he worked for the OU Daily as a women's basketball reporter and was hired by All Sooners. Ross landed an internship with Sports Illustrated's Inside the Thunder and has since become a full-time contributor. One day, Ross hopes to work in the NBA. Work History Education Ross holds a bachelor's degree in Public Relations and a minor in Communication from the University of Oklahoma. Personal Born and raised in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Ross played basketball and wrote for his own Thunder blog at Crossings High School in OKC, OK. He enjoys reading, New York Jets football and a week at the beach. Ross is engaged to be married at the end of the year. His Twitter handle is @Rosslovelace.

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