The score didn’t quite do it justice, but statistically, Dillon Gabriel had an impressive outing in his Oregon debut.
And this is a guy who knows a thing or two about a debut. Having played college football since 2019 and navigating the transfer portal twice, Gabriel’s had his fair share of season openers.
Now 6-0 in his first game of the season, he’s always been able to get his team off to a good start, even if it’s consistently been against underwhelming competition.
Last weekend, in the season-opening 24-14 win over the University of Idaho, Gabriel was 41-49 for 380 yards and a pair of touchdown passes. A trio of sacks and a lost fumble brought his quarterback rating (QBR) down to just 56.2, but he was good enough to help the Ducks start their 2024 season campaign 1-0.
“Stats are one thing, but we’re just focused on winning,” Gabriel said after the game.
Still, his performance left something to be desired for most Oregon fans. But when looking at his numbers in season-opening games in his career, Saturday’s game wasn’t that much of an outlier.
His 380 yards were the second-most he’s had in an opener (417 in 2020), and he again threw for at least two scores — a theme that’s been present in each initial game.
His QBR was the lowest it’s been in his first game of any given season by over 10 full points, but his completion percentage was near its peak. He was also interception-free for the fourth time in six season-opening wins. However, looking at Gabriel’s statline — and the Autzen Stadium scoreboard — told a different story than what actually transpired on the field: an underwhelming win over an FCS school.
Growing pains were bound to exist in what became his first game with his third collegiate team.
“Different for sure,” Gabriel said about comparing Saturday’s game to his previous season openers and new-team debuts. “You know, great time being at Autzen. But, you sit back now and there’s a bunch on tape that you watch back and you want to continue to improve upon.”
After the offense’s somewhat stagnant performance, Oregon head coach Dan Lanning said he’ll hope to work in and find more “explosive” chunk plays moving forward. Such plays could come from Gabriel on the ground, as he’s undoubtedly one of the best rushing quarterbacks in college football.
“I think you have to evaluate every single team you’re playing and how they defend you and see if [Gabriel running] can be a piece of your game,” Lanning said on Saturday. “That’s certainly something we have. I don’t know if it’s always wise to run your quarterback every opportunity you get.”
The lack of running in season-opening games has also been a theme of Gabriel’s career. The most yards he’s rushed for in such a game was 60 in 2021, but he’s had 30 or less in each of his other season debuts.
On Saturday, he had -23 as a result of three sacks — tied for the most he’s had in a season opener.
“A win’s a win, I’ll say that,” Gabriel said. “But there’s a lot we need to improve on.”
If Gabriel can continue to have completion percentages around the 83.7% that he had against Idaho, he’ll have the Ducks right where they need to be. If he can truly find his ground game, he could turn Oregon’s offense into an undeniable force.
One of Gabriel’s best opening performances came in 2021 against Boise State University, and he’ll have an opportunity to dominate the Broncos again as they rumble into Autzen Stadium on Sept. 7.