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University of Oklahoma Athletics
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Gabriel Named Davey O’Brien Award Semifinalist
November 14, 2023 | Football
NORMAN — University of Oklahoma quarterback Dillon Gabriel has been named one of 20 semifinalists for the Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award, the Davey O'Brien Foundation announced Tuesday.
Gabriel, who is also a semifinalist for the Maxwell Award and a top-10 finalist for the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, leads the Big 12 and ranks in the top 10 nationally in points responsible for per game (21.6; third), total offense (340.6 yards per game; fourth), passing offense (306.9; seventh), passing efficiency rating (172.1; seventh), passing touchdowns (25; eighth), yards per pass attempt (9.4; eighth) and completion percentage (.705; ninth).
Through 10 games this season, the Mililani, Hawaii, product has accounted for 36 total touchdowns, which is eight more than the Big 12 player with the second most. He has completed 229 of 325 pass attempts for 3,069 yards and 25 touchdowns, and has rushed for 337 yards and a team-high 11 TDs (one behind the Big 12 leader and one behind the national quarterback leader). He has passed for more than 300 yards six times and for multiple touchdowns on six occasions this season, and has rushed for at least one TD in six contests. He is one of just two FBS players since the start of the 1996 season to complete at least 70% of his passes through his team's first 10 games of a season while throwing for at least 25 touchdowns and five or fewer interceptions, and rushing for at least 300 yards and 11 touchdowns (fellow Sooner and 2019 Heisman Trophy runner-up Jalen Hurts is the other).
Gabriel, a redshirt senior, set a school record against West Virginia on Saturday by accounting for eight touchdowns (five passing, three rushing), surpassing the previous mark of seven set by former OU Heisman Trophy and Davey O'Brien Award winners Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray. He also set a school record with his 90.3% completion percentage (28 of 31) while passing for 421 yards and five touchdowns at Tulsa on Sept. 16. Against Texas on Oct. 7, he rushed for a career-high 113 yards and a score and led a 75-yard drive in 1:02 to throw the game-winning touchdown pass with 15 seconds remaining.
Gabriel has started all 22 of his games over the last two seasons at Oklahoma, completing 459 of 692 passes (66%) for 6,237 yards and 50 touchdowns to 11 interceptions and rushing 171 times for 654 yards and 17 touchdowns. He is only the second quarterback in school history to pass for at least 45 touchdowns and rush for at least 15 scores in his career (Mayfield is the other).
Gabriel has started 47 of his 48 career contests between OU and UCF, and has completed 1,013 of 1,605 passes (63%) for 14,274 yards and 120 touchdowns and rushed for 1,026 yards and 25 scores. He ranks 10th in FBS career passing yards and 11th in FBS career passing touchdowns, and is the second player in FBS history (Mayfield is the other), to total 14,000 passing yards and 1,000 rushing yards. He ranks first nationally in passing yards since the start of the 2019 season (Oregon's Bo Nix ranks second with 13,979 yards, in nine more games).
Gabriel is one of only two quarterbacks in the country this season to win the Davey O'Brien National QB of the Week Award twice (Washington's Michael Penix is the other). Gabriel has also been named a Maxwell Award Player of the Week, Walter Camp National Offensive Player of the Week and is a three-time Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week.
The Davey O'Brien Award finalists will again be chosen based on voting from the Davey O'Brien National Selection Committee as well as bonus ballots awarded from the second round of the Davey O'Brien Fan Vote. The Fan Vote will take place on the award's three social media platforms — Facebook, Instagram and Twitter (X) — and the top five vote getters on each platform will receive bonus committee member ballots which will be added to the votes cast by the national selection committee. To participate in the Fan Vote, fans must like the original Davey O'Brien Award post highlighting their quarterback. The second round will be open until Friday, Nov. 24, at noon CT.
The three finalists will be announced Tuesday, Nov. 28, while the winner will be announced live Friday, Dec. 8, on The Home Depot College Football Awards on ESPN.
No. 14/13 Oklahoma plays its first-ever game in the state of Utah when it meets BYU (5-5, 2-5 Big 12) on Saturday, Nov. 18, at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo. Kickoff is set for 11 a.m. CT/10 a.m. MT and the game will be televised by ESPN.
Gabriel, who is also a semifinalist for the Maxwell Award and a top-10 finalist for the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, leads the Big 12 and ranks in the top 10 nationally in points responsible for per game (21.6; third), total offense (340.6 yards per game; fourth), passing offense (306.9; seventh), passing efficiency rating (172.1; seventh), passing touchdowns (25; eighth), yards per pass attempt (9.4; eighth) and completion percentage (.705; ninth).
Through 10 games this season, the Mililani, Hawaii, product has accounted for 36 total touchdowns, which is eight more than the Big 12 player with the second most. He has completed 229 of 325 pass attempts for 3,069 yards and 25 touchdowns, and has rushed for 337 yards and a team-high 11 TDs (one behind the Big 12 leader and one behind the national quarterback leader). He has passed for more than 300 yards six times and for multiple touchdowns on six occasions this season, and has rushed for at least one TD in six contests. He is one of just two FBS players since the start of the 1996 season to complete at least 70% of his passes through his team's first 10 games of a season while throwing for at least 25 touchdowns and five or fewer interceptions, and rushing for at least 300 yards and 11 touchdowns (fellow Sooner and 2019 Heisman Trophy runner-up Jalen Hurts is the other).
Gabriel, a redshirt senior, set a school record against West Virginia on Saturday by accounting for eight touchdowns (five passing, three rushing), surpassing the previous mark of seven set by former OU Heisman Trophy and Davey O'Brien Award winners Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray. He also set a school record with his 90.3% completion percentage (28 of 31) while passing for 421 yards and five touchdowns at Tulsa on Sept. 16. Against Texas on Oct. 7, he rushed for a career-high 113 yards and a score and led a 75-yard drive in 1:02 to throw the game-winning touchdown pass with 15 seconds remaining.
Gabriel has started all 22 of his games over the last two seasons at Oklahoma, completing 459 of 692 passes (66%) for 6,237 yards and 50 touchdowns to 11 interceptions and rushing 171 times for 654 yards and 17 touchdowns. He is only the second quarterback in school history to pass for at least 45 touchdowns and rush for at least 15 scores in his career (Mayfield is the other).
Gabriel has started 47 of his 48 career contests between OU and UCF, and has completed 1,013 of 1,605 passes (63%) for 14,274 yards and 120 touchdowns and rushed for 1,026 yards and 25 scores. He ranks 10th in FBS career passing yards and 11th in FBS career passing touchdowns, and is the second player in FBS history (Mayfield is the other), to total 14,000 passing yards and 1,000 rushing yards. He ranks first nationally in passing yards since the start of the 2019 season (Oregon's Bo Nix ranks second with 13,979 yards, in nine more games).
Gabriel is one of only two quarterbacks in the country this season to win the Davey O'Brien National QB of the Week Award twice (Washington's Michael Penix is the other). Gabriel has also been named a Maxwell Award Player of the Week, Walter Camp National Offensive Player of the Week and is a three-time Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week.
The Davey O'Brien Award finalists will again be chosen based on voting from the Davey O'Brien National Selection Committee as well as bonus ballots awarded from the second round of the Davey O'Brien Fan Vote. The Fan Vote will take place on the award's three social media platforms — Facebook, Instagram and Twitter (X) — and the top five vote getters on each platform will receive bonus committee member ballots which will be added to the votes cast by the national selection committee. To participate in the Fan Vote, fans must like the original Davey O'Brien Award post highlighting their quarterback. The second round will be open until Friday, Nov. 24, at noon CT.
The three finalists will be announced Tuesday, Nov. 28, while the winner will be announced live Friday, Dec. 8, on The Home Depot College Football Awards on ESPN.
No. 14/13 Oklahoma plays its first-ever game in the state of Utah when it meets BYU (5-5, 2-5 Big 12) on Saturday, Nov. 18, at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo. Kickoff is set for 11 a.m. CT/10 a.m. MT and the game will be televised by ESPN.
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