No. 9/9 Oklahoma improved to 99-23-6 all-time in season openers and to 81-15-4 in home openers at Gaylord Family – Oklahoma
Memorial Stadium, which opened in 1923 and is in its 100th year. OU has won six straight season openers and 12 of its last 13, and
has won 17 straight home openers.
• Attendance for Saturday’s game at Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium was 83,173, marking OU’s 141st straight sellout
of an originally scheduled home game, dating back to the start of the 1999 season. It is the nation’s second-longest current streak.
• Brent Venables became the 18th Oklahoma head coach to win his head coaching debut. Eighteen of OU’s 23 head coaches and 10
of the last 11 have won their first game.
• Twenty-four players made their first appearance in an Oklahoma uniform Saturday. Seven players made their first start at
Oklahoma: sophomore DE Ethan Downs, redshirt junior transfer QB Dillon Gabriel, redshirt sophomore transfer OL Tyler Guyton,
redshirt senior transfer DL Jeery Johnson, redshirt senior DL Jordan Kelley, redshirt junior OL McKade Mettauer and sophomore
LB Danny Stutsman.
• Twenty-one first-year Sooners saw the field today. They were Guyton, Mettauer, Gabriel, Johnson, freshman WR Jayden Gibson,
redshirt junior QB Davis Beville, redshirt-sophomore WR J.J. Hester, freshman RB Jovantae Barnes, redshirt-senior DB C.J. Coldon,
freshman DB Gentry Williams, sophomore RB Tawee Walker, freshman DE R Mason Thomas, freshman DL Gracen Halton, senior DB
Trey Morrison, redshirt-sophomore WR LV Bunkley-Shelton, freshman LB Jaren Kanak, freshman OL Jacob Sexton, freshman OL
Jake Taylor, redshirt-senior DL Jonah Laulu, freshman WR Gavin Freeman and freshman TE Jason Llewellyn.
• Oklahoma produced 492 total oensive yards with a balanced attack of 259 rushing yards and 233 passing yards and averaged
8.1 yards per play to UTEP’s 3.9 yards per play.
• The Sooners held the Miners to 28 rushing yards (-19 in the first half) on 31 carries. It was the fewest rushing yards allowed by an
OU defense since 2014 (19 vs. Kansas).
• Oklahoma’s 229 total yards in the first quarter (17.6 yards per play) were its third most ever in the first quarter of a season opener.
The most was 247 yards in the first quarter of the 2007 opener vs. North Texas, followed by 236 yards vs. Missouri State in 2020.
• OU registered six sacks (totaling 46 yards) and nine tackles for loss (totaling 57 yards) in the game. DE Reggie Grimes led the
eort with 2.5 sacks.
• The win was OU’s 78th in a row when holding opponents to 23 or fewer points.
• Since the start of the 2012 season, OU is 82-5 when scoring at least 35 points and 71-3 when scoring at least 40
INDIVIDUAL NOTES
QB DILLON GABRIEL
• Completed 15 of 23 passes for 233 yards and two touchdowns, and rushed six times for 20 yards and a 12-yard score in his OU debut. He now has 71 career passings TD and nine career rushing TD (including his time at UCF).
• He has thrown at least one touchdown pass in all 27 of his career games and at least two TD passes in 21 career contests.
DB BILLY BOWMAN
• Registered a career-high nine tackles (seven solo), which was tied for the team high. Also notched two pass breakups in the game. His previous career-high tackle total was five tackles last season vs. Kansas State.
CB JADEN DAVIS
• Made his third straight start in a season opener and 14th start overall. He was credited with three tackles and one TFL, all in the first half.
WR GAVIN FREEMAN
• The walk-on freshman scored a touchdown on a 46-yard rushing play in the first quarter. It was the second play and first touch of his career
RB ERIC GRAY
• Rushed 16 times for a game-high 102 yards (6.4 yards per rush). It was his first 100-yard rushing game at Oklahoma and the sixth of his career. He also notched two receptions for 33 yards.
DE REGGIE GRIMES
• His 2.5 sacks were a career high and the most by a Sooner since the 2020 season (Isaiah Thomas vs. Baylor). He also forced a fumble and was credited with a QB hurry.
LS KASEY KELLEHER
• Played in his 53rd game today, breaking the OU record by a long snapper that was held by Wesley Horky (2014-17).
• Entering today, with the exception of one field goal attempt and one extra-point attempt last year, Kelleher has snapped on every OU field goal, PAT and punt over the last four seasons.
RB MARCUS MAJOR
• Scored touchdowns on rushes of 1 and 6 yards in the third quarter. He now has six career rushing touchdowns (the two Saturday were his first since the 2020 season). Finished with 54 yards on seven rushes.
WR MARVIN MIMS
• Registered a game-high 81 receiving yards on three catches, which included a 42-yard reception.
• Had a 42-yard reception, his 13th career catch of at least 40 yards.
LB DANNY STUTSMAN
• Logged a career-high nine tackles (six solo), which tied for the team high. His previous career best was eight tackles vs. Western Carolina last season.
• Added the first two pass breakups of his career and a QB hurry.
LB DASHAUN WHITE
• Made his 37th career start and his fourth consecutive start in a season opener. It was his 18th straight start in a game in which he played. He finished with five tackles and two QB hurries.
DB GENTRY WILLIAMS
• Registered his first career interception in the end zone during the final minute of the fourth quarter. It was OU’s first takeaway of the season.
TE BRAYDEN WILLIS
• Finished with three receptions for 40 yards and made touchdown catches of 6 and 28 yards in the first half. This was his first career game with multiple touchdowns and now has eight career TD catches.
Memorial Stadium, which opened in 1923 and is in its 100th year. OU has won six straight season openers and 12 of its last 13, and
has won 17 straight home openers.
• Attendance for Saturday’s game at Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium was 83,173, marking OU’s 141st straight sellout
of an originally scheduled home game, dating back to the start of the 1999 season. It is the nation’s second-longest current streak.
• Brent Venables became the 18th Oklahoma head coach to win his head coaching debut. Eighteen of OU’s 23 head coaches and 10
of the last 11 have won their first game.
• Twenty-four players made their first appearance in an Oklahoma uniform Saturday. Seven players made their first start at
Oklahoma: sophomore DE Ethan Downs, redshirt junior transfer QB Dillon Gabriel, redshirt sophomore transfer OL Tyler Guyton,
redshirt senior transfer DL Jeery Johnson, redshirt senior DL Jordan Kelley, redshirt junior OL McKade Mettauer and sophomore
LB Danny Stutsman.
• Twenty-one first-year Sooners saw the field today. They were Guyton, Mettauer, Gabriel, Johnson, freshman WR Jayden Gibson,
redshirt junior QB Davis Beville, redshirt-sophomore WR J.J. Hester, freshman RB Jovantae Barnes, redshirt-senior DB C.J. Coldon,
freshman DB Gentry Williams, sophomore RB Tawee Walker, freshman DE R Mason Thomas, freshman DL Gracen Halton, senior DB
Trey Morrison, redshirt-sophomore WR LV Bunkley-Shelton, freshman LB Jaren Kanak, freshman OL Jacob Sexton, freshman OL
Jake Taylor, redshirt-senior DL Jonah Laulu, freshman WR Gavin Freeman and freshman TE Jason Llewellyn.
• Oklahoma produced 492 total oensive yards with a balanced attack of 259 rushing yards and 233 passing yards and averaged
8.1 yards per play to UTEP’s 3.9 yards per play.
• The Sooners held the Miners to 28 rushing yards (-19 in the first half) on 31 carries. It was the fewest rushing yards allowed by an
OU defense since 2014 (19 vs. Kansas).
• Oklahoma’s 229 total yards in the first quarter (17.6 yards per play) were its third most ever in the first quarter of a season opener.
The most was 247 yards in the first quarter of the 2007 opener vs. North Texas, followed by 236 yards vs. Missouri State in 2020.
• OU registered six sacks (totaling 46 yards) and nine tackles for loss (totaling 57 yards) in the game. DE Reggie Grimes led the
eort with 2.5 sacks.
• The win was OU’s 78th in a row when holding opponents to 23 or fewer points.
• Since the start of the 2012 season, OU is 82-5 when scoring at least 35 points and 71-3 when scoring at least 40
INDIVIDUAL NOTES
QB DILLON GABRIEL
• Completed 15 of 23 passes for 233 yards and two touchdowns, and rushed six times for 20 yards and a 12-yard score in his OU debut. He now has 71 career passings TD and nine career rushing TD (including his time at UCF).
• He has thrown at least one touchdown pass in all 27 of his career games and at least two TD passes in 21 career contests.
DB BILLY BOWMAN
• Registered a career-high nine tackles (seven solo), which was tied for the team high. Also notched two pass breakups in the game. His previous career-high tackle total was five tackles last season vs. Kansas State.
CB JADEN DAVIS
• Made his third straight start in a season opener and 14th start overall. He was credited with three tackles and one TFL, all in the first half.
WR GAVIN FREEMAN
• The walk-on freshman scored a touchdown on a 46-yard rushing play in the first quarter. It was the second play and first touch of his career
RB ERIC GRAY
• Rushed 16 times for a game-high 102 yards (6.4 yards per rush). It was his first 100-yard rushing game at Oklahoma and the sixth of his career. He also notched two receptions for 33 yards.
DE REGGIE GRIMES
• His 2.5 sacks were a career high and the most by a Sooner since the 2020 season (Isaiah Thomas vs. Baylor). He also forced a fumble and was credited with a QB hurry.
LS KASEY KELLEHER
• Played in his 53rd game today, breaking the OU record by a long snapper that was held by Wesley Horky (2014-17).
• Entering today, with the exception of one field goal attempt and one extra-point attempt last year, Kelleher has snapped on every OU field goal, PAT and punt over the last four seasons.
RB MARCUS MAJOR
• Scored touchdowns on rushes of 1 and 6 yards in the third quarter. He now has six career rushing touchdowns (the two Saturday were his first since the 2020 season). Finished with 54 yards on seven rushes.
WR MARVIN MIMS
• Registered a game-high 81 receiving yards on three catches, which included a 42-yard reception.
• Had a 42-yard reception, his 13th career catch of at least 40 yards.
LB DANNY STUTSMAN
• Logged a career-high nine tackles (six solo), which tied for the team high. His previous career best was eight tackles vs. Western Carolina last season.
• Added the first two pass breakups of his career and a QB hurry.
LB DASHAUN WHITE
• Made his 37th career start and his fourth consecutive start in a season opener. It was his 18th straight start in a game in which he played. He finished with five tackles and two QB hurries.
DB GENTRY WILLIAMS
• Registered his first career interception in the end zone during the final minute of the fourth quarter. It was OU’s first takeaway of the season.
TE BRAYDEN WILLIS
• Finished with three receptions for 40 yards and made touchdown catches of 6 and 28 yards in the first half. This was his first career game with multiple touchdowns and now has eight career TD catches.
