Steve Sarkisian expects the best version of Dillon Gabriel, Oklahoma in Red River Rivalry

Dillon Gabriel is playing his best football at the right time for Oklahoma. A 5-0 start is what everybody in Norman ordered, with Gabriel playing a huge role. The next course will come in Dallas, facing off against Texas in the Red River Shootout — the quarterback’s first appearance in the Cotton Bowl

Steve Sarkisian knows the best version of Gabriel is on the way. He was complimentary of him as a player, saying it goes back to his time at UCF.

“We’re going to get their best version,” Sarkisian said. “Dillon is a fantastic player. He was a great player at UCF, he’s a great player now for OU. So, we know we’re going to get the best version of him.”

With how Gabriel is playing at the moment, he is on track for a career year. Throughout five games the veteran quarterback has 1,593 yards, 15 touchdowns, and two interceptions. His accuracy has been on display as well with a completion percentage of 75.2% — well above his current career average of 62.8%.

But Gabriel will be experiencing the Texas-Oklahoma matchup as a player for the first time. An injury kept him out of the game last year, meaning Brent Venables did not really have a viable option at quarterback. Texas went on to win 49-0, a game neither side will forget but for very different reasons.

Emotions are going to be flowing when the two teams run out of the tunnel on Saturday. Texas will want to prove they can retain the Golden Hat, something they have not done since 2009. Oklahoma will be looking to respond following last season’s brutal loss.

Sarkisian knows keeping those emotions in check will be key. More than anything, making sure Texas is able to execute against Gabriel and the high-flying Oklahoma offense will be key to coming out on top at the Cotton Bowl.

“I’m sure they’re talking about last year’s game too,” Sarkisian said. “So, we’re going to get an emotional team coming into the Cotton Bowl that we’re going to have to compete against. We just have to recognize that. And we have to play good football at the end of the day.

“Emotion is great and it only runs for so long. But if you rely on just emotion, sooner or later, you can exhaust yourself, and it’s going to come down to execution. We just got to make sure we’re dialed in.”