Dillon Gabriel UCF press conference
Watch Oklahoma Sooners QB Dillon Gabriel meet the press after OU's 31-29 win over UCF on Saturday, Oct. 21, 2023.
Transcript
00:00 - Hi, D.
00:00 - Hit me up, Nick.
00:03 - Yeah.
00:04 - Dylan, it felt like the offense
00:07 struggling there for a while.
00:08 You guys found something there in the fourth quarter.
00:10 What was it?
00:11 What was different in the fourth quarter?
00:12 - Yeah, just, just came out flat.
00:14 Not happy about it one bit, but just love how we responded.
00:18 You know, things weren't going our way
00:19 and a lot of it self-inflicted,
00:21 but just finding a way to come out with a win.
00:24 And I think that is stuff that you can take away.
00:27 Definitely not in the fashion,
00:29 but at the end of the day, a W is a W, so.
00:32 - Dylan, can you talk about--
00:33 - On offense, late again, when you needed it once again,
00:36 you guys have been pretty good at that all year.
00:39 If you were able to do it again today.
00:40 - Yeah, I think just the emphasis, you know,
00:42 throughout the whole off season,
00:44 putting forth downs, you know,
00:46 the middle eight, winning that,
00:47 and then winning the fourth quarter.
00:48 And I think just, you know, all that,
00:51 that work put into it, I think,
00:53 is definitely planned out for us, so.
00:56 - The what team mindset, 23-17 in the fourth quarter,
00:59 just the team mindset,
00:59 the offensive mindset at that point?
01:02 - Yeah, just find a way to put a drive together
01:05 and go score.
01:05 And I think it was important for us.
01:08 I know we had one prior that we didn't, you know,
01:11 obviously we didn't convert on third,
01:13 but then the next one,
01:14 finding a way to drive it all the way down
01:16 and Gavin finished that one for us.
01:18 I think that just put us in a good spot, so.
01:21 - The way Drake's been playing for you guys over,
01:24 and in critical moments,
01:25 do you find yourself just looking for him
01:28 when you drop back?
01:29 In critical moment, you know, I think,
01:30 okay, I'm going to look at 12.
01:33 - Yeah, I think it's a mixture of trust
01:35 and belief in everyone,
01:37 but I think Drake has done a good job
01:39 at just finding the right spot
01:41 and being really good at that.
01:43 And then obviously our trust in one another.
01:45 He's a guy that I've thrown a bunch with,
01:47 you know, throughout the off season, you know,
01:48 us being kind of older guys,
01:51 being able to spend more time together,
01:52 whether it's in the film room or, you know, on the field.
01:56 And he's just, he's just a great player.
01:59 You know, it's-
01:59 - Not a comfort in most aspects, right?
02:01 - I think it's a comfort thing.
02:02 And then also he's just a damn good player.
02:04 And, you know, he's always in the right spot, like I said,
02:06 just finding them and letting them do him.
02:09 So I'm proud of him for sure.
02:10 - I think coming into this game,
02:12 you've taken on Andrell more than any receiver
02:14 on third downs this year.
02:16 Is that going to be an adjustment moving forward
02:18 for you, like having to find somebody else,
02:21 I guess, to be that guy?
02:23 - Naturally, if you lose a guy like Andrell,
02:25 it definitely hurts.
02:26 But I think a lot of the guys have stepped up
02:28 and we will find that, you know,
02:31 whether it's normal downs, third downs, red zone,
02:34 whatever it is.
02:35 But I think guys have stepped up,
02:36 whether it's, you know, Nick, Drake,
02:38 Jaleel finding his way as well.
02:40 And then on third down Stogg as well.
02:42 So just us coming together
02:44 and trying to find ways to convert.
02:46 - The third down that Nick Anderson there on that,
02:48 he's one of the last few drives.
02:49 Is that kind of a good example of that?
02:51 Finding a down field?
02:52 - Exactly.
02:53 I think just guys being in the right spot,
02:56 me making sure that I play the right sides
02:58 or, you know, getting through my progressions.
03:00 And I think that only helps us
03:03 because those guys have been playing really good.
03:05 - Yeah, the big one was Jaden as well.
03:06 Is that something you guys have been doing
03:08 the last two weeks as well,
03:08 just extra emphasis on,
03:09 trying to get that chemistry going,
03:11 that different guys in the rotation without Andrell?
03:13 - Yeah, I think we did a good job of rotating early on,
03:17 but anytime you lose a guy like Andrell,
03:19 Andrell's a great player.
03:20 So, you know, it definitely hurts,
03:22 but I think the guys coming together collectively,
03:25 you know, whether it's LV,
03:27 Jen Gibson coming in, G Free,
03:29 you know, guys who do rotate and play a bunch of football.
03:32 I think it's important that they as well, you know,
03:34 just come together and find ways to convert
03:38 or, you know, create chunks when they are in.
03:40 - Those last two drives,
03:42 did it, was there like a different electricity,
03:45 a different current running through you guys,
03:47 or did it just feel like you're continuing to grind
03:50 and it finally breaks open for you?
03:52 - I think it was a mixture of that,
03:53 but also just, you know, the will to win
03:55 and knowing that it did come down to those two drives,
03:58 you know, and we had to go score
04:00 if we wanted to win the game.
04:01 So, you know, whether it's back against the wall
04:05 and we needed to, or the guys just, you know,
04:08 finding a way to win.
04:09 I think the mixture of that too is something that,
04:12 you know, is the difference.
04:14 - Like, are you looking at each other differently?
04:17 Like this is going to happen or?
04:19 - I'd just go back to belief, you know,
04:22 belief in one another.
04:23 I'd love to say, you know,
04:25 we drank different Gatorade and in the fourth, but yeah,
04:29 but I think just the belief in one another
04:31 and knowing that, you know, you get confidence from,
04:34 you know, too many drives or being in crucial moments
04:37 and finding ways to win.
04:38 I think that creates confidence.
04:40 Although we did, you know, put ourself in that position.
04:43 It's important for us to, you know,
04:45 get ourselves out of it.
04:46 - Gus said in his press conference
04:47 that he was going to come try to see you.
04:49 Did he come see you after the game?
04:50 - He did. He did.
04:51 I was able to, you know, find them after the game.
04:55 Just a lot of respect for that, that place.
04:57 You know, it's a place that I love
04:58 just because of the journey, you know,
05:01 and a place that I just have a lot of, you know,
05:05 relationships, you know, whether it's, you know,
05:07 guys in the, that work in the building, coaches, players,
05:10 you know, it was good to see them, but you know,
05:13 after the game, but just appreciative
05:15 of being able to have that conversation after.
05:17 - Are you glad this game's over with?
05:18 I mean, there was all,
05:19 a buildup all week toward this game.
05:20 Are you glad it's just in the rear view mirror now?
05:22 - Man, I, you know, it definitely was a personal one
05:25 because I played there and, you know,
05:29 just, it's a part of my journey that I'll never forget.
05:33 But, you know, at the end of the day,
05:35 it wasn't about me as well.
05:36 Us as a team, finding a way to win and going one and O,
05:40 you know, ultimately getting the seven and O,
05:42 but getting better, you know,
05:44 and that's something we'll have to do for sure.
05:45 - You're talking about growing in confidence.
05:47 Where are you guys at mentally as an offense now
05:50 as it goes to maybe SMU and then cut it to 14-11,
05:52 you guys still have the big response,
05:54 but you've been a bunch of times since then.
05:56 - Yeah, I think that's something you practice.
05:59 So whenever it does happen in the game,
06:01 it's, I don't want to say fulfilling, but you know,
06:04 great to see because you, you worked on that, you know,
06:07 and trying to, you know,
06:08 see it come into fruition is pretty cool,
06:10 but I do look back and it's, it's things that, you know,
06:15 we put ourselves in those positions and find a way,
06:18 a way to get ourselves out of it is important,
06:21 but you know, we'll go, we'll go back and, and get better.
06:24 You know, there's things that we definitely left out there
06:26 and things that we need to get better at.
06:28 And it starts with me.
06:29 It starts with, you know, us as a unit
06:31 and as a, as a group trying to get better.
06:34 - With Andrew?
06:35 - How's the money game going late in the game,
06:37 including you finding some spots in?
06:39 Has that opened up your offense?
06:42 - Yeah, I believe so.
06:43 I think chunks in general, creating chunks,
06:45 whether it's me, you know, the receivers in tight end,
06:48 running back, whatever it is, I think creating chunks,
06:51 whenever you have to snap it less, it does help just because,
06:56 you know, that means you've had explosive plays
06:58 within the drive.
06:59 So I think that's something we'll look at as well
07:02 and just find a way to create more chunks.
07:04 - Was it nice to get Gavin going today for you guys?
07:07 It felt like he really customized it.
07:09 - Yeah, it was, you know, we, we,
07:11 we believe in Gavin and everything he can do
07:13 and know what he's capable of.
07:15 Obviously me playing with him in the Florida State game
07:17 and then him trickling in throughout the season,
07:20 but just for him to, you know,
07:22 I guess get his feet wet a little more.
07:25 It's good to see and got a bunch of belief in him as well.
07:29 - That last run, were you screaming for him
07:31 just to get in the end zone as he's shrugging over
07:33 at the sideline asking if he needed to take any or not?
07:36 - It was funny because I think
07:37 I second guessed it as well,
07:42 whether he should score or not.
07:43 So I'm catching myself looking over,
07:46 but just how the whole play played out.
07:48 It was really unique, you know,
07:50 cause I felt like the defensive guys were also trying
07:54 not to let him score or, so I don't know.
07:56 I was kind of confused, but I'm glad we,
07:58 we did score at the end of the day.
08:00 Thank you guys.
08:03 Thank you.
08:04 - Thank you, Dylan.
08:07 - Thank you.
08:08 - Appreciate it.
08:08 - I really appreciate it.
08:09 - Thank you.
08:10 - Thank you for the last player, so.
08:13 Keep the beard by the way.
08:14 - I'm gonna try.
08:15 Thank you.
08:17 [BLANK_AUDIO]