Why Oklahoma QB Dillon Gabriel is Focused on the Right Things

The Sooners' quarterback has been one of the nation's best through three games, but he also knows he hasn't beaten Cincinnati in his career.

NORMAN — Don’t think he doesn’t know his career record against Cincinnati is the same as his career record against Tulsa going into last week: 0-2.

“I know it,” Gabriel said. “I’m not going to say it. I know it. I know what it is. Obviously I knew my record against Tulsa. So I'm excited for the game. I'm excited to play them. It'll be a good one.”

Gabriel says this isn’t some kind of “revenge tour,” where he and his teammates get back at everyone for previous losses.

“I heard a bunch of people say that,” Gabriel said. “But it's not for me to decide. It's a team game. I'm glad I’m with these guys. It's going to be a good atmosphere, a good vibe. It's going to be a good game.”

Gabriel is currently second among active FBS quarterbacks in career passing yards (12,110), total offense (12,832) and is fourth in passer efficiency rating (159.93).

But Gabriel isn’t focused on those numbers either as Oklahoma opens Big 12 Conference play this week at 2-1 Cincinnati. Nor is he focused on others, like 82.5 (that’s his completion percentage, which leads the nation), or 220.4 (that’s his passer efficiency rating, which ranks second nationally), or 11 (that’s his touchdown passes, which ranks fourth in the nation), or 301.7 (his passing yards per game, which ranks 11th).

“Crazy numbers," said wide receiver Nic Anderson. "I mean, if you look at the stats, it’s insane. I don’t care who we’re playing against, the numbers that he’s putting up is insane. I think the stats speak for themselves.”

All those dazzling statistics have added Gabriel’s name to a lot of Heisman lists (according to Caesar’s, Gabriel’s odds of +1800 are currently tied for seventh).

But winning is just as important to any individual quarterback awards, and that’s where Gabriel has his focus. The No. 16-ranked Sooners are playing markedly better through three games this year than they did last year, and being 3-0 and ranked No. 16 and leading the nation in scoring margin is the result.

How does Gabriel quantify how much better he’s playing this year? Easy.

“Wins,” he says. “That's how I quantify it — finding ways to win. Any way, anyhow, whatever it is. That's my pure, main focus. Obviously getting better in my work, details. That has everything to do with creating completions, moving the chains and then putting the points on the board so simplifying it, that's the main thing.”

Another area the Sooners lead the nation offensively is in third down conversions. Gabriel is the trigger man there, reading the defense and delivering the football on time and accurately to the right player in the right situation.

The OU offense set a goal this past offseason to improve on third-down efficiency — and so far they’re the best in the land at it.

“It's what you work at,” Gabriel said, “and seeing it obviously come into fruition, it's something you get excited. But knowing how much … better we can be as we continue to work at it, that's our main focus. I love that we made that an emphasis because it's super important.

“It's the name of the game. It's third down, and executing on that is crucial. You can look at a lot of things but finding ways to move the chains, finding ways to put points on the board, that's efficiency to me.”

To have gone into the offseason with the goal of improving in a specific area, and to lead all of college football in that area a quarter of the way through the season, must be gratifying.

“I don’t know (about) gratifying. You’re looking for affirmation for your players,” head coach Brent Venables said. “Young people want to be affirmed, and they're willing to do what you ask them to do as long as they know you see them. And then I think human nature is to be even more bought in when you do have the results that you desire.

“I think everybody as a football program or organization realized, these are the areas that we’ve fallen short. We’re going to spend a lot of time improving in all of the things that entails. So, I’m hopeful that it’s gratifying for the players. For the coaches we know that you’re always a week away from humility.

“You just keep your head down and just continue to do the things that you’ve been doing to make the improvement. To me it comes down to practice field, the film room, the strain, the competition, the failure. And we’ve really helped get each other better in a lot of those areas that we’re talking about.”