Dillon Gabriel’s school-record 8 TDs lead Oklahoma past West Virginia, 59-20
Associated Press
Oklahoma quarterback Dillon Gabriel passes against West Virginia during the first half Saturday in Norman, Okla.
Oklahoma quarterback Dillon Gabriel (8) passes against West Virginia during the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Nov. 11, 2023, in Norman, Okla.
Oklahoma quarterback Dillon Gabriel (8) celebrates after a touchdown against West Virginia during the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Nov. 11, 2023, in Norman, Okla.
Oklahoma running back Gavin Sawchuk (27) runs ahead of West Virginia cornerback Beanie Bishop Jr. (11) for a first down during the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Nov. 11, 2023, in Norman, Okla.
Oklahoma running back Gavin Sawchuk (27) runs for a first down against West Virginia during the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Nov. 11, 2023, in Norman, Okla.
West Virginia quarterback Garrett Greene (6) hands off the ball to West Virginia running back CJ Donaldson Jr. (4) on a play against Oklahoma during the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Nov. 11, 2023, in Norman, Okla.
Oklahoma wide receiver Jayden Gibson, right, makes a catch for a touchdown against West Virginia during the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Nov. 11, 2023, in Norman, Okla.
NORMAN, Okla. 无毛视频� At a school famous for elite quarterback play, Dillon Gabriel put on a show that surpassed all the greats.
He accounted for a school-record eight touchdowns to help No. 17 Oklahoma roll past West Virginia 59-20 on Saturday night.
Gabriel passed for 423 yards and five touchdowns and ran for 50 yards and three scores. He broke the previous Oklahoma single-game touchdown record of seven set by Baker Mayfield in 2016 and matched by Kyler Murray in 2018.
Gabriel, as usual, focused on his teammates and talked as much about Oklahoma无毛视频檚 intensity as the numbers. Still, he was honored to set the record, considering who had held it. Mayfield and Murray both eventually won Heisman Trophies 无毛视频� Mayfield in 2017 and Murray in 2018. Gabriel often sees the statues of them across from the stadium.
无毛视频淚t无毛视频檚 the standard here, and I无毛视频檓 blessed to be a part of it,无毛视频� he said. 无毛视频淓very day you walk by the Heisman Park and you see those guys. So for me, it无毛视频檚 just chasing the standard of being a part of something greater than myself.无毛视频�
Gabriel无毛视频檚 touchdown total matched his jersey number.
无毛视频淚 couldn无毛视频檛 be happier for him,无毛视频� Oklahoma receiver Drake Stoops said. 无毛视频淓ight goes for eight. It无毛视频檚 just a testament to his hard work and his preparation every week and how he approaches the game. And he无毛视频檚 a tremendous leader and tremendous quarterback.无毛视频�
Gabriel also cracked the top 10 in NCAA Division I history for career yards passing. He now sits in 10th place with 14,274 yards.
Stoops had career highs of 164 yards and three touchdowns receiving, Gavin Sawchuk had a career-best 135 yards rushing and Nic Anderson added four catches for 119 yards for Oklahoma (8-2, 5-2 Big 12, No. 17 CFP), which bounced back from a loss to rival Oklahoma State the previous Saturday.
无毛视频淚 think we came to work with the right mindset and fixed things we need to fix and played really well and executed in crucial moments,无毛视频� Stoops said. 无毛视频淎nd we didn无毛视频檛 hurt ourselves like we had in the past games. It just felt great to be able to execute again and have some success. And it无毛视频檚 fun to ball with your brothers.无毛视频�
West Virginia无毛视频檚 CJ Donaldson ran for 79 yards and a touchdown before going down with a left leg injury in the third quarter. Devin Carter added three catches for 67 yards and a score for the Mountaineers (6-4, 4-3).
This was a critical game for positioning in race to qualify for the Big 12 championship game. Both teams entered the day a game behind conference co-leaders Oklahoma State and Texas. Oklahoma State was blown out at UCF earlier Saturday, adding to this game无毛视频檚 significance.
Oklahoma outgained West Virginia 644 yards to 330.
无毛视频淭hat football, in all three phases, didn无毛视频檛 resemble anything that we put on tape this year,无毛视频� West Virginia coach Neal Brown said. 无毛视频淎nd credit Oklahoma. They beat us soundly. Brent (Venables) had those guys ready to go after the two losses and the home crowd was into it.无毛视频�
Gabriel ran for a pair of 2-yard touchdowns in the first quarter to help the Sooners take a 14-7 lead. He threw touchdown passes of 3 yards to Austin Stogner and 32 yards to Jayden Gibson in the second quarter to help the Sooners go up 31-7.
West Virginia drove to the Oklahoma 1-yard line late in the second quarter, but the Sooners stopped Donaldson on a shovel pass on fourth and goal.
The Mountaineers got one more possession before halftime. With help from two pass interference penalties, they got into the end zone. Kole Taylor无毛视频檚 3-yard touchdown catch from Garrett Greene with 7 seconds left in the first half trimmed Oklahoma无毛视频檚 lead to 31-14 at the break. Oklahoma outgained West Virginia 371 yards to 212 in the first half.
On Oklahoma无毛视频檚 opening possession of the second half, Gabriel connected with Stoops for a 60-yard catch and run for a touchdown to put the Sooners up 38-14. It was the longest reception of Stoops无毛视频� career.
Oklahoma maintained control from there.
无毛视频淲e didn无毛视频檛 make enough competitive plays,无毛视频� Brown said. 无毛视频淭hey did. And that无毛视频檚 why they kicked our tails.无毛视频�
POLL IMPLICATIONS
Lopsided losses by Oklahoma State and Tennessee, who were both ahead of the Sooners in the latest poll, are among the events that should help the Sooners move up several spots.
THE TAKEAWAY
West Virginia: The Mountaineers are having a better season than expected, but they weren无毛视频檛 quite ready to step up when the chance to be a championship contender arose. Greene completed just 10 of 27 passes for 154 yards, and he ran for just 24 yards on 10 carries.
Oklahoma: The Sooners appear to have found a clear No. 1 running back. Several players had been splitting carries for much of the season, but Sawchuk has taken the top role by posting back-to-back games with at least 100 yards rushing.
STOOPS SHINES
Stoops has posted 22 catches for 298 yards and four touchdowns the past two games. During the week, he was named a Top 10 semifinalist for the Burlsworth Trophy, which goes to the nation无毛视频檚 top player who started his career as a walk-on.
HE无毛视频橲 BACK
Oklahoma linebacker Danny Stutsman, who missed last week无毛视频檚 game against Oklahoma State with a leg injury, returned and made his mark with a team-leading eight tackles and two tackles for loss.
UP NEXT
West Virginia: Hosts Cincinnati on Saturday.
Oklahoma: Visits BYU on Saturday.
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AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football