'This is our party': How Dillon Gabriel inspired OU football with talk, 'elite' QB play

NORMAN — Before things got out of hand against Iowa State, Dillon Gabriel delivered a message to his OU teammates that resonated.

“This is our party,” the Sooners’ quarterback told them. “This is our house.”

Gabriel and the Sooners turned that message into reality Saturday night, turning a close game into a blowout and turning the page to next week’s Red River Rivalry matchup with a 50-20 win over the Cyclones at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium.

Gabriel was strong again, going 26-of-39 passing for 366 yards, three touchdowns and an interception. He also rushed for two touchdowns for the first time in his career.

Iowa State’s defense can be downright stingy.

The Cyclones hadn’t allowed a 300-yard passer since 2021. Before Oklahoma State cracked it last week, no team had put up as many as 400 yards of total offense against Iowa State since that same season.

More: Mussatto: Brent Venables has rebuilt the OU football defense, but is it ready for Texas?

Gabriel helped the Sooners blow past those numbers, reaching 300 yards passing on the first drive of the second half, and ultimately helping OU outgain Iowa State 523-352.

Perhaps the most impressive piece of Gabriel’s performance was the deep balls he hit against a notoriously tough Cyclones' defense.

Gabriel hit four passes of 39 or more yards, including touchdowns to Nic Anderson and Jayden Gibson and deep passes to Brenen Thompson and Jalil Farooq.

Some of them weren’t perfect — the ball to Thompson in particular was underthrown — but they were effective.

“He climbed in the pocket a few times. He stepped outside and kept his eyes down the field,” OU coach Brent Venables said. “He plays with great poise and composure most of the time. … He’s confident and that’s a confident group of guys that he has around him.

"Those opportunities are going to be there based on the things that we do. The precision, the timing and all of that has been really, really good.”

Through five games, Gabriel has thrown for 1,593 yards and 15 touchdowns with just two interceptions. He’s completing more than 75% of his passes and spreading the ball around to a deep group of receivers.

“Dillon’s as talented as anyone we’ve played against,” Iowa State coach Matt Campbell said. “We’ve played against some great quarterbacks here, and some great quarterbacks in this conference, but boy, I just feel the veteranness of a guy that’s been in the system now for a long time and really confident with his playmakers, really confident in the scheme, and he played like an elite quarterback tonight.”

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Now, as the Sooners turn their focus to Texas, the biggest difference in a sea of differences between this year’s OU team and the one that got walloped by the Longhorns 49-0 last season is the health of Gabriel.

He was hurt against TCU the week before the showdown, and though he warmed up in the Cotton Bowl, Gabriel ultimately wasn’t ready to return.

“It’s just not fun,” Gabriel said. “I play the game because I love it. It’s something I’m passionate about. You work so hard with a group of guys, and not being able to be on the field with them, it didn’t feel the best. I think you learn a lot from those moments as well, both as a player and as a group.”

His absence last year forced the Sooners to concoct an offense on the fly to take on Texas, and the results were disastrous. OU threw for just 39 total yards in the loss.

But Gabriel looks to be good to go this time around, playing the best football of his career and raising the expectations for the Sooners even higher.

Gabriel carried the lessons from not only the Texas game but the entirety of last season into the offseason, doubling down on his efforts to bring not only the quarterbacks and receivers together but also the team as a whole.

He also looked internally and decided to place an added emphasis on enjoying the ride.

More: OU football report card: Dillon Gabriel, Sooners ace final test before Red River Rivalry

“I think a big thing in my head is continuing to have fun with this game,” Gabriel said. “Although it was a rocky road, kinda going back to when you’re that little kid and just enjoying every second of it. I think I had lost it for a little bit, but when I flipped that switch and just started having fun, it allowed me to play free, have fun, play fast and then play with a free mind.

“I think that’s something that goes along with this whole journey. That’s something I’ll continue to do, kinda put that at the forefront of my offseason going into this year.”

That added emphasis was noticed.

“I just feel like we’re just at a great place with chemistry right now,” Gibson said. “Credit to him. Credit to DG. It started this summer, bro, just getting us all together, just getting us right and just getting that connection. Me being a guy who don’t even start, I can just go in the game and know what he’s thinking. … I know what he wants me to do.

“I feel like he’s a really great guy at having everybody feel like they’re important. That’s a characteristic of a great team and a great quarterback.”

OU vs. Texas

KICKOFF: 11 a.m. Saturday at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas (ABC)

More: OU football vs. Texas: TV channel, betting line, matchup breakdown for Red River Rivalry

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OU football heads into Texas game with 'elite' QB Dillon Gabriel