Dillon Gabriel helps Oklahoma top No. 19 Kansas, end skid at 3 games

Associated PressOct 15, 2022, 8:08 PM EDT

Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

NORMAN, Okla. — Dillon Gabriel looked all healed up.

The Oklahoma quarterback passed for 403 yards and two touchdowns in his first game back after a concussion, and the Sooners defeated No. 19 Kansas 52-42 to end their three-game losing streak.

Gabriel was injured in the second quarter of Oklahoma’s loss to TCU on October 1, and the team’s offense had sputtered in nearly seven quarters without him heading into the Kansas game. But a week after the Sooners were held to 195 yards against Texas, Oklahoma (4-3, 1-3 Big 12) exploded for 701 yards against the Jayhawks.

Gabriel had been in concussion protocol, but he passed tests during the week, clearing the way for him to play.

“I’m grateful for every opportunity I step out there because I know this game is aggressive,” he said.

Gabriel also ran 10 times for 37 yards and a touchdown, often sliding well before Kansas defenders had a chance to hit him.

“It’s football,” he said. “I’m going to get hit. Just being smart. Trying to protect myself, but also not taking any unnecessary hits.”

Kansas had been one of the nation’s darlings so far this season, surprising experts by winning five straight games to start the season and pushing TCU before losing 34-27 the previous week.

But Eric Gray ran for 176 yards, Marvin Mims had a career-high nine catches for 106 yards and Brayden Willis had five catches for a career-best 102 yards for the Sooners, who relieved some of the pressure that had been building for first-year coach Brent Venables.

It was Oklahoma’s 18th straight win over Kansas, with all the victories coming by double digits. The Sooners haven’t lost to the Jayhawks since 1997.

“I love seeing our guys in victory formation there at the end,” Venables said. “It was a good, hard fought win, dragging ourselves off the mat and getting back on the saddle.”

Filling in for the injured Jalon Daniels (shoulder), Jason Bean passed for 265 yards and four touchdowns for Kansas. Daniels was hurt in the loss to TCU.

Lawrence Arnold had 113 yards and two touchdowns receiving and Mason Fairchild had 106 yards and caught two touchdown passes for Kansas. The Jayhawks (5-2, 2-2) lost their second straight and missed out on the chance to become bowl eligible for the first time since 2008.

Gabriel completed 21 of 29 passes for 304 yards in the first half to help the Sooners take a 35-21 lead. The Sooners’ 487 yards in the first half were the second-most gained in a half in school history, trailing the 507 gained in the first half against Missouri in 1986.

“They came out clicking on all cylinders,” Kansas coach Lance Leipold said. “They played very well, very aggressive. I think we were on our heels most of the day. It was like they were playing downhill.”

Gray had 124 yards rushing in the first half, eclipsing his previous high as a Sooner before the break. The Sooners kept the Jayhawks at bay in the second half, controlling the ball for more than 17 minutes.

“Their backs were to the wall a little bit in this situation, and they came out and played extremely well,” Leipold said. “And we didn’t quite match that. And we’ve got to find a way if we want to be that type of team, that we can do that.”

THE TAKEAWAY

Kansas: If not for three Oklahoma turnovers and a goal-line stand by the Jayhawks on the final play of the second quarter, the Sooners would have done even more damage.

Oklahoma: The Sooners showed they could run the ball and chew up the clock if necessary. They ran for 298 yards and had the advantage in time of possession for the first time this season.

POLL IMPLICATIONS

Even though Oklahoma has the reputation and was favored, Kansas lost to an unranked team and could drop out of the Top 25.

UNITY UNIFORM

Oklahoma honored running back Prentice Gautt, the first Black scholarship football player at the school, by wearing a “Unity” uniform.

Gautt starred on coach Bud Wilkinson’s teams from 1957 to 1959. He was an All-Big Eight Conference selection twice and was an Academic All-American in 1958.

The uniform, designed by a group of the school’s athletes, featured dark gray jerseys, pants and helmets with crimson trim and lettering. It had the word “TOGETHER” sewn on the collar, the word “UNITY” on the back-of-the-jersey nameplate and an outline of the state of Oklahoma on the sleeves.

INJURED JAYHAWK

Kansas cornerback Cobee Bryant left the game after suffering an injury to his left ankle in the closing seconds of the first half.

Bryant left on a cart and received a standing ovation from the crowd. Leipold said it is a “wait-and-see” situation.

UP NEXT

Kansas visits Baylor.

Oklahoma visits Iowa State on Oct. 29.

Georgia extends contract for AD Josh Brooks, plans two new football practice fields

Associated PressMay 26, 2023, 9:14 PM EDT

Joshua L. Jones / USA TODAY NETWORK

ATHENS, Ga. – On the heels of a second straight national football championship, Georgia has rewarded athletic director Josh Brooks a contract extension that ties him to the Bulldogs through at least 2029.

The athletic association board, wrapping up its annual spring meeting Friday at a resort on Lake Oconee, also announced plans for a new track and field facility that will free up space for two more football practice fields.

Brooks’ new contract will increase his salary to $1.025 million a year, with annual raises of $100,000.

The 42-year-old Brooks, who took over the athletic department in 2021 after Greg McGarity retired, called the Georgia job “a dream for me” and said he hopes to spend the rest of his career in Athens.

“I am extremely grateful,” Brooks said. “I got into this business 20-plus years ago as a student equipment manager. My first job at Louisiana-Monroe was making $20,000 a year in football operations.”

The Georgia board approved a fiscal 2024 budget of $175.2 million, a nearly 8% increase from the most recent budget of $162.2 million and the sign of a prosperous program that is flush with money after its success on the gridiron.

The school received approval to move forward with its preliminary plans for a new track and field facility, which will be built across the street from the complex hosting the soccer and and softball teams.

The current track stadium is located adjacent to the Butts-Mehre athletic facility, which hosts the practice fields and training facilities for the football program.

Georgia lost a chunk of its outdoor fields when it built a new indoor practice facility. After the new track and field stadium is completed, the current space will be converted to two full-length, grass football practice fields at the request of coach Kirby Smart.

“He wants to find efficient ways to practice, and there is a lot of truth to the issues we’ve had with our current practice fields,” Brooks said. “There is a lot of strain on our turf facilities staff to keep that field in great shape when half the day it is getting shade, so that has been a challenge as well. For our football program, it is better to practice on grass fields than (artificial) turf, so to be able to have two side-by-side grass fields is huge. It makes for a much more efficient practice.”

The new track and field complex, which will continue to be named Spec Towns Track, will also include an indoor facility, the first of its kind in the state of Georgia.

Iowa AD Gary Barta announces retirement after 17 years at Big Ten school

Associated PressMay 26, 2023, 9:11 PM EDT

Joseph Cress/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK

IOWA CITY, Iowa – Iowa athletic director Gary Barta will retire on August 1 after 17 years at the university, the school announced Friday.

Barta, 59, is one of the longest-tenured athletic directors in a Power Five conference. He was hired by Iowa in 2006 after being the AD at Wyoming.

An interim director will be announced next week, Iowa said.

In September, Iowa hired former Ball State athletic director Beth Goetz to be deputy director of athletics and chief operating officer, putting her in position to possibly succeed Barta.

“It has been an absolute privilege and honor to serve in this role the past 17 years,” Barta said in a statement. “This decision didn’t come suddenly, nor did it come without significant thought, discussion, and prayer.”

“That said, I’m confident this is the right time for me and for my family.”

Iowa won four NCAA national team titles and 27 Big Ten team titles during Barta’s tenure. The women’s basketball team is coming off an appearance in the national championship game and the wrestling team is coming off a second-place finish at the NCAA championships.

Barta served as the chairman of the College Football Playoff committee in 2020 and 2021.

He faced heavy criticism over more than $11 million in settlements for lawsuits in recent years alleging racial and sexual discrimination within the athletic department.

Lawsuits filed by former field hockey coach Tracey Griesbaum and associate athletics director Jane Meyer led to a $6.5 million payout.

Iowa had to pay $400,000 as part of a Title IX lawsuit brought by athletes after it cut four sports in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. As part of the agreement, Iowa reinstated the women’s swimming and diving program and add another women’s sport.

Iowa added women’s wrestling, the first among Power Five schools to compete this year.

A lawsuit brought by former football players alleging racial discrimination within the program was settled for $4.2 million last March, which prompted state auditor Rob Sand to call for Barta’s ouster.

“Gary Barta’s departure is a long time coming given the four different lawsuits for discrimination that cost Iowa more than $11 million,” Sand posted on Twitter.

The university did not allow taxpayer money to be used for the settlement with the former players.

Barta led Iowa through $380 million of facility upgrades, including renovation of Kinnick Stadium, the construction of a new football facility, a basketball practice facility and a training center for the wrestling teams.

Under Barta, Iowa has had just one head football coach (Kirk Ferentz), women’s basketball coach (Lisa Bluder) and wrestling coach (Tom Brands). All were in place when he arrived.

Barta has also come under scrutiny for allowing Ferentz to employee his son, Brian Ferentz, as offensive coordinator. To comply with the university’s nepotism policy, Brian Ferentz reports to Barta.