DALLAS -- With a traditional Hawaiian Lei around his neck, Dillon Gabriel briefly takes his mind to his home state when asked to imagine what it’s like five time zones away. What was it like in Honolulu as Gabriel led his Sooners 75 yards down the field on five plays, or when he found Nic Anderson as wide open as any receiver was all day in the corner of the end zone for a go-ahead score over hated rival Texas?
“I got a lot of fans back home who just love me and are very supportive of my dreams and aspirations,” Gabriel said. “There's three things I represent: That’s the name of the front of my jersey, the name on my back, and the state of Hawaii just because that’s what made me. I hold it heavy because I love that place. I love everything it represents. That’s love, humility, and respect.”
As Gabriel began to choke up, wideout Jalil Farooq put an arm around the QB who has etched his name in Red River lore leading a drive that nobody who saw it will ever forget. Gabriel got a call from Baker Mayfield—another another Sooner signal-caller who made magic on this field—the night before the game. Both of them were transfers in just like nearly every Oklahoma winning starting QB since 2014. The Red River Rivalry seems to always deliver, and it certainly did on Saturday as OU won, 34–30, in an instant classic.
