Oklahoma vs UTEP | A Look At The Quarterbacks

It’s officially that time of year again! There’s nothing better than college football during the fall. As the college football season is set to be in full swing this weekend it is time that we take a look at the quarterbacks.

As we always do we will break down the matchup between quarterbacks each week. Then, determine the following week whether or not Oklahoma QB Dillon Gabriel won that matchup or not. Let’s jump right into it with a look at the new quarterback for the Sooners.

Dillon Gabriel

Dillon Gabriel is a junior transfer from UCF. He played there for three years before entering the transfer portal. He played in every single game during his career there, and he started every game besides the season opener of his freshman season.

Oklahoma’s new offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby was a part of the recruiting process for Gabriel at UCF. He coached him during his freshman season before taking a job at Ole Miss. Now the two will be reunited again in Norman. This is huge for the Sooners during a year where so much will be different. Having some familiarity and chemistry between the offensive coordinator and QB1 is going to be a huge boost for the Oklahoma offense.

Gabriel has recorded over 8,000 yards in his career despite only playing in three games last year due to an injury. He has completed 60% of his passes and has thrown for 70 touchdowns with only 14 interceptions. Any quarterback with these numbers heading into Norman is automatically going to be a big threat to opposing defenses. He will have more weapons around him on offense than he did at UCF, so I’d expect some pretty big numbers this season.

Oklahoma fans need to get used to the name Dillon Gabriel. He isn’t going to be as flashy as Baker Mayfield or Caleb Williams. But, he will be efficient and knows how to lead an offense on the field. The Sooners offense is in good hands once again.

Gavin Hardison

The Oklahoma defense will be given the task of stopping Gavin Hardison on Saturday. He has been at UTEP for four years now and is very comfortable in the system. Last year he threw for over 3,000 yards. He likes to extend plays with his feet when he can, although he isn’t the biggest threat on the ground.

UTEP has already played their first game of the season. Last weekend they took on North Texas and suffered a 31-13 loss. Hardison completed 21/48 of his passes for 293 yards and 1 touchdown. He also ran the ball 10 times for only 29 yards.

Overall the Sooners shouldn’t struggle to stop the UTEP offense. I think Hardison may present them with a few challenges, but the OU defense will be several steps ahead of this offense. He isn’t the most accurate quarterback that they will face this season. Even if given the time to throw the Oklahoma secondary should be all over the ball.

Gabriel Steals The Show

Dillon Gabriel and the Sooners offense will be looking to put on a show Saturday afternoon. All eyes will be on Oklahoma to see how they can bounce back with a new look coaching staff and a new look offense. Gabriel will have no problem winning this QB matchup. This team will be ready and prepared as the new QB1 in Norman leads the way.

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