OU football vs. West Virginia: 5 takeaways as Dillon Gabriel, Sooners rout Mountaineers

NORMAN — OU’s matchup with West Virginia on Saturday started similarly to the Sooners’ last two games.

The Mountaineers scored quickly to take the lead, and OU’s backs were up against the wall.

But from there, the Sooners’ offense clicked in a way it hasn’t since the Texas game, the defense bowed up, and by halftime, the game was comfortably in hand as OU beat West Virginia 59-20 at Gaylord Family — Oklahoma Memorial Stadium to stay alive in the race to make the Big 12 Championship Game.

Here are five takeaways from the Sooners’ win:

More: Dillon Gabriel joins NCAA career passing yards top 10 as OU football beats West Virginia

Dillon Gabriel passes Colt Brennan, sets records

Dillon Gabriel grew up idolizing Colt Brennan.

Saturday, Gabriel passed his childhood hero in career passing yards, moving into 10th place in NCAA career passing yards.

Gabriel passed for a season-high 423 yards and five touchdowns.

Earlier in the game, Gabriel passed former Marshall standout Rakeem Cato for 11th place on the career list.

Gabriel has thrown for 14,274 yards.

Next up on the list for Gabriel is former Washington State standout Luke Falk, who had 14,486 passing yards.

Gabriel also ran for three touchdowns.

His final touchdown run set an OU record.

Before that, he was tied with Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray for the school record with seven combined passing/rushing touchdowns.

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Jeff Lebby quiets critics

OU offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby has taken plenty of heat the last two weeks for play-calling that was curious at times.

Lebby was criticized for being too conservative with late-game play-calling in particular in losses to Kansas and Oklahoma State.

There was nothing conservative about Saturday’s game plan, though, as the Sooners (8-2, 5-2 Big 12) pushed the ball downfield repeatedly. That included a pair of completions of 60 or more yards — a 63-yard completion to Nic Anderson on the first play of the second quarter and a 63-yard touchdown to Drake Stoops early in the third quarter.

The Sooners were also able to get production out of quarterback Dillon Gabriel on the ground, as Gabriel scored the Sooners’ first two touchdowns on runs.

He leads OU with 10 rushing touchdowns.

The Sooners’ 59 points were its most in a Big 12 game since scoring 62 vs. Kansas in 2020.

OU’s 644 yards were a season high, besting the 642 they posted in the season opener vs. Arkansas State.

The Sooners’ 221 rushing yards also set a season high.

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Danny Stutsman returns

Weakside linebacker Danny Stutsman’s return to OU’s lineup presented Brent Venables and Ted Roof with a bit of a conundrum, especially after redshirt freshman Kip Lewis performed well in Bedlam.

So Venables and Roof elected to have the two play alongside each other for much of the game.

The start was less-than-ideal, as Stutsman appeared out of position on CJ Donaldson’s 13-yard touchdown run of the game.

Stutsman and Venables had an animated discussion on the sidelines after the play.

After that, though, Stutsman settled in well.

He finished with a team-high eight tackles, while Lewis added seven.

The Sooners’ defense forced six punts, a pair of turnovers on downs, Reggie Pearson had his first OU interception and Jacobe Johnson also had his first career interception late.

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Sooners stay in Big 12 hunt

The Sooners still aren’t in control of their own destiny when it comes to the race to make the Big 12 Championship Game, but Saturday’s results helped.

The losses by Oklahoma State and Kansas — particularly the latter — helped the Sooners’ case.

OU still is a game behind Texas — but holds the tiebreaker against the Longhorns — and is tied with the Cowboys, Kansas State and Iowa State (if the Cyclones knock off BYU late Saturday).

Iowa State plays both Texas and Kansas State to end the season, while Texas also faces Texas Tech and Kansas State faces Kansas. OSU ends the season with games at Houston and at home against BYU.

If OU winds up a three-way tie with OSU and Kansas State and Texas wins out, the Sooners would make the title game by virtue of their win over Texas.

Even though the Cowboys have beaten both OU and Kansas State, the head-to-head matchups wouldn’t be considered since the Sooners and Wildcats don’t play this season.

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McKade Mettauer ejected

After Drake Stoops’ third touchdown catch put the Sooners up 52-20 early in the fourth, virtually putting away any thought of a comeback by West Virginia (6-4, 4-3), tempers flared.

Stoops was hit hard by West Virginia’s Anthony Wilson as he caught the ball and then Wilson stood over Stoops for a moment as the Sooners’ receiver stayed down.

As the lights flashed as part of the OU touchdown celebration, a shoving match broke out as coaches ran onto the field to break up the fracas.

Wilson was initially called for targeting, but a review overturned that call.

Sooners’ fans, frustrated by officiating not only on that play but from earlier calls both in Saturday’s game and last week’s Bedlam loss, started chanting, “S-E-C. S-E-C.”

The Sooners make the move to the SEC next season.

The chants also broke out after Stoops was flagged following his celebration of his second touchdown catch of the game.

The tempers didn’t quiet after the extra point, as OU starting right guard McKade Mettauer got in Wilson’s face, setting off more fireworks.

Mettauer was flagged for two unsportsmanlike conduct penalties and Wilson was called for one.

The multiple flags led to Mettauer being ejected.

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OU vs. BYU

KICKOFF: 11 a.m. Saturday at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo, Utah (ABC or ESPN)

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OU football routs West Virginia as Dillon Gabriel joins NCAA top 10