Oklahoma QB Dillon Gabriel Wins Big 12 Honor for Efficient Tulsa Performance

The Big 12 awards are rolling in after the Sooners' 66-17 blowout victory over the Tulsa Golden Hurricane on Saturday.
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Dillon Gabriel’s outstanding performance against Tulsa has earned the Oklahoma quarterback special recognition.

The Sooners’ signal caller was named the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week on Monday.

Gabriel won the award once last year on the heels of his big day against Texas Tech in the regular season finale. He was also named the Big 12 Newcomer of the Week three times in 2022.

The game plan in Tulsa called for Gabriel to take to the skies, and he rewarded offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby’s faith. He completed 28-of-31 passes for 421 yards, five touchdowns and one interception in OU’s 66-17 win over the Golden Hurricane.

Gabriel was withdrawn at the end of the third quarter with the game well in hand, turning the offense over to Jackson Arnold.

The performance in Tulsa was yet another efficient day for Gabriel. Through three games in 2023, he’s completed a staggering 82.5 percent of his passes, throwing for 905 yards, 11 touchdowns and just the single interception.

Oklahoma’s offense has also done an excellent job attacking downfield, as Gabriel is averaging 11.3 yards per attempt, which would shatter his previous career high.

Last week, linebacker Danny Stutsman got some shine as he won Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week for his showing against SMU.

The level of competition will take a step up this week for the Sooners offense.

OU opens conference play with a trip to Cincinnati in the Bearcats’ inaugural Big 12 contest. 



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Ryan Chapman
RYAN CHAPMAN

Ryan is managing editor at Sooners On SI and covers a number of sports in and around Norman and Oklahoma City. Working both as a journalist and a sports talk radio host, Ryan has covered the Oklahoma Sooners, the Oklahoma City Thunder, the United States Men’s National Soccer Team, the Oklahoma City Energy and more. Since 2019, Ryan has simultaneously pursued a career as both a writer and a sports talk radio host, working for the Flagship for Oklahoma sports, 107.7 The Franchise, as well as AllSooners.com. Ryan serves as a contributor to The Franchise’s website, TheFranchiseOK.com, which was recognized as having the “Best Website” in 2022 by the Oklahoma Association of Broadcasters. Ryan holds an associate’s degree in Journalism from Oklahoma City Community College in Oklahoma City, OK.