Gabriel Reflects on Busy Week, Preparation, and Rose Bowl Outlook

EUGENE, Ore. – Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel addressed the media Wednesday, discussing his whirlwind schedule, team preparations for the Rose Bowl, and balancing the excitement of the postseason with the focus required for success. Gabriel’s responses, provided in full, shed light on his perspective as he leads the Ducks.

Appreciating the Journey

When asked about managing the hectic schedule of the past week and reflecting on it, Gabriel said:

Gabriel replied: “For sure, I'm just glad I got to represent our guys. I think you look at a body of work as a whole, as a unit, you just appreciate all that goes into it. And I'm glad I can represent them, but met a lot of great people, had a lot of great conversations. So I'm grateful and blessed to be a part of that too.”

On Family and Support in New York

Discussing the impact of former Oklahoma teammate General Booty’s surprise trip to New York and the value of family connections, Gabriel said:

“You know, I think the best part of all this is, like, you get to be around family. And, you know, even when family travels out for games, it's just different. You know, you're preoccupied on something else. But for that event release, we could enjoy each other's company and just hang out.”

The Benefits of a Bye Week

When asked about the advantages of having extra time to prepare due to the bye week, Gabriel explained:

“I think just getting everyone back has been important, which is good. And then getting everyone reps as well. You know, I think in the year, in the season, you tend to, you know, what's urgent, what's important kind of deal. And now you're able to just kind of peel everything back, self-scout. And I don't think we'd have that time if we didn't have the bye. And then getting a head start. So there's a lot of pros to it. We have a great schedule that keeps us in football shape, you know, keeps us conditioned the whole nine, but also doesn't kill us. So it's been really good and refreshing. And then, like I said, I think just the deeper conversations we're able to have because we have more time has allowed us to get on the same page more.”

Balancing the demands of staying in football shape while resting and recovering was another focus.

“Yeah, just being super intentional with the reps. And I think Coach does a good job of knowing when to, of course, get our work in or knowing when, hey, maybe this is a different way we can approach practice. So he's done a great job of that and has helped us a bunch. But I still think it's a balance that everyone's trying to find. And as a player, I know we found a great balance on the player side.”

On Accuracy and Development

Gabriel reflected on his career-long development of accuracy and the importance of patience:

“Yeah, I think reps, you know, not a lot of people are patient enough now to get past a certain point of, you know, there's going to be failure. There's going to be inconsistency. But I also believe that there's another side to that kind of over the mountain that people can't see, right? And I think I've found a happy medium, you know, and was able to get over that hump. You know, I think throughout my career, I've done my due diligence, but I've also played around great people. So it's helped me. But I think taking that next step is having patience, you know, and people trusting your ability. And Coach Lanning and Coach Stein know, like, the spring wasn't the prettiest, you know, but they also understand that it's a marathon and the growth happens, you know, through failure and learning. You know, how are you ever going to know if you can fit a ball in a tight window or challenge a certain coverage if you don't do it? I think the confidence is, you know, from having coaches that trust your ability and allow you to grow in that way. And I'm blessed that I have that because I think it's doing me right.”

On Teammate Dave Iuli’s Contribution

Gabriel praised teammate Dave Iuli for stepping up during the season and contributing to the team’s success:

“Yeah, I think him being here for a good amount of time, he's very, you know, he's a vet in his mind in terms of what he knows and what we try to do offensively, which has helped. And of course, he dealt the physical battles, but you just see a guy who's continuing to fight and keep swinging. And I appreciate that as a player, you know, a guy who pours his all into it and really, you know, came in mid-season when we needed him and he just executed. But more importantly, I think you're seeing him turn and flourish into his own as he, you know, like this is perfect for him, you know, this time to kind of peel everything back and kind of take a deep breath and see how he can get better. And I think, you know, you just look at him like I'm grateful for him and his contribution to what we do offensively. He's a damn good player. And being around him, you know, you just you're actually competitive. You smile a little more. He's an infectious person.”

Balancing Fun and Focus for the Rose Bowl

On maintaining focus during the fun and excitement of the Rose Bowl, Gabriel said:

“Yeah, I think that's the hard part too, right? We do live life outside of this building too. So, you know, when we have that short Thursday, you know, practice or day ends at a half day, you still have time to go hang out with family and do that sorts of thing. There's still going to be meetings, but, you know, once you leave the building, people do what they do. And I think that's where we'll do things with the bowl sites, but we'll just be able to enjoy together. So I think it's actually more of a positive thing that we're just spending more time together, you know. But for the most part, bowls are fun. We earn the right, you know, to be there and playing it. We also know what's at stake. But we're going to get our work in with Coach, and we'll be just fine.”