Jackson Arnold shines in OU football debut, and Dillon Gabriel sparkles as well in opener

NORMAN — The last time Butch Jones was on the field as the head coach against OU, a star was born at quarterback.

Saturday, as the Sooners dismantled Jones’ Arkansas State squad 73-0, one quarterback star appeared born in the second half, while the quarterback of the now showed OU fans that maybe they should embrace the present at the position in a more meaningful way.

Jackson Arnold did nothing to tamp down the hype surrounding him. His debut could hardly have been better — completing all 11 of his passes for 114 yards and a touchdown while running for another.

The Sooners didn’t need Arnold to do much more than run the clock out when he took over for Dillon Gabriel on OU’s first offensive drive of the second half.

But he did so much more.

The biggest came on his second drive, when he found Jayden Gibson in the back corner of the end zone for Arnold’s first touchdown pass with the Sooners.

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“He made some really nice decisions,” Brent Venables said of Arnold. “He threw the ball with accuracy and on time. He put it in the right spots and ran the ball a little bit and that was good to see and get that out of the way for him. He took care of the football, which was most important.”

That was primarily a concern on Arnold’s third drive, when offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby switched up the formation and play-calling a bit.

“I told him I wanted to run the ball,” Arnold said. “He said, ‘We can do that.’”

Arnold took off for an 11-yard run up the middle, then followed with another keeper.

After a pair of Daylan Smothers runs, Arnold scored his first OU rushing touchdown on a 7-yard run.

“I wanted to get him dirtied up a little bit and get him playing football,” offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby said. “I didn’t want him coming into the locker room with a perfectly clean outfit on. He needed to go play ball and that was our goal for us in that.”

Arnold’s debut was about as pristine as could’ve been hoped.

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They eased him in in a no-pressure situation — Arnold said he felt no nerves before the game and felt no pressure when he came in with a 45-0 lead — and asked him mostly to make short throws into the flat and allow his receivers to make plays.

But Arnold flashed a bit of what’s earned him the hype, with the throw to Gibson, a critical third-down to fellow freshman Jaquaize Pettaway and his running.

“He turned 19 years old today, but he’s a guy that is pretty mature,” Lebby said.

But there’s still the present, and Gabriel had plenty to prove in his own right.

Gabriel had his best game as a Sooner, going 19 of 22 for 308 yards and two touchdowns.

Gabriel’s 86% completion percentage is the highest of his career, besting the 75.9% in a loss to Louisville in 2021 while he was at UCF. Gabriel was hurt late in that game, which ultimately was his final game with the Golden Knights.

“He showed savviness, experience, poise, execution, his decision-making, his accuracy, ability to take care of the football, throw the ball on time, read what’s going on from a defensive structure standpoint, just fantastic,” Venables said. “He’s just a smooth guy.”

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Though Gabriel’s numbers were strong last year, there were times when he was a little bit off — whether it be in decision-making, getting a quick release, taking an unnecessary sack or controlling the tempo.

Saturday, there were none of those issues.

“Regardless of your opponent, the name on the schedule is who you have to play against,” Gabriel said. “Taking advantage of every opportunity. The preparation, the work — this is where you show it.”

The competition will get tougher — much tougher — for these Sooners but the returns after one game are strong.

The last time Jones coached against the Sooners, it was Baker Mayfield’s coming-out party in the fourth quarter and overtime against Tennessee way back in 2015.

The impact Saturday’s game will have on this season and the careers of Gabriel and Arnold won’t fully be known for years down the line, but it was a strong first start toward washing away the bad memories from last season’s sub.-.500 finish.

OU vs. SMU

KICKOFF: 5 p.m. Saturday at Gaylord Family—Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman (ESPN+)

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This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OU football QBs Dillon Gabriel, Jackson Arnold star in Sooners' win