Saturday night marks the start of Dillon Gabriel's sixth season of college football with his third different school.

The quarterback began his career starting for the University of Central Florida, where he played for three years before heading to Norman to play for the Sooners in Oklahoma.

In December, with one year of eligibility remaining, Gabriel decided to head to the Pacific Northwest to play with the Oregon Ducks.

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Gabriel threw for more than 3,000 yards in both the 2022 and 2023 seasons and was 10-2 in his dozen starts with the Sooners.

He's going from the Big 12 (Oklahoma is now in the SEC) to the Big Ten (Oregon was in the Pac-12 last year), and he's excited for the change.

"It being the third conference I’ve played in, I think in that aspect it’s cool. I’ve played in so many different places, and I feel like it’s what football is all about. I’ve had the privilege to play in a bunch of different cool environments, and it’s been very exciting. The more, the merrier. It’s gonna be a lot of fun," Gabriel told Fox News Digital in a recent interview.

Gabriel said Oregon was "the perfect spot" for him when he decided he wanted to take advantage of his extra year of eligibility.

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"It was kind of where I needed to be at the right time. … I think college is very special, and I think it’s a pivotal time to be the player you want to be to prepare yourself for the biggest job interview of your life, which is the NFL," he said. 

"I think if you ask anyone, if you can take this test or job interview, you try to get all the knowledge and experience you can prior to getting that job interview. So, that’s kind of how I looked at it. 

"I also want to win a national championship. I want to win at the highest level. So, the competitor in me wanted to do that as well. It was a big decision, but when you look at it from a player standpoint, that’s kind of how I made my decision."

Gabriel, admittedly, had instances where he was "uncomfortable" during camp, but that's the beauty of the journey.

"It’s just a lot of learning. I think a lot of people, when they do transfer, they go to coaches they know so they know what to expect. But this one was definitely a decision I made to try something new, be uncomfortable and grow," Gabriel said. 

"I think this offseason I’ve been appreciative that this is a new offense I’m learning, new coaches I haven’t been around, but an uncomfortable situation creates growth. I’ve learned a lot about myself and football from different perspectives. It’s my sixth year of college. I’m not stagnant, consistent. It’s something new, and I’m forever learning, growing and improving. 

"I’m looking at it as a huge positive because I’m looking at guys that have been at one school for six years. They get stuck in their ways or no change or evolution. Not in a negative way. But I just look at it as so many positives from this offseason."

The Ducks begin their Big Ten and Dillon Gabriel eras against Idaho at 7:30 p.m. ET Saturday.

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The Honey Deuce cocktail, which made its debut at the U.S. Open in 2006, is arguably as popular today as the tennis tournament itself. 

Case in point: An awkward moment occurred during a broadcast this week when a man returning to his seat with two of the cocktails — one of which was presumably for the woman next to him — was beaten to it by another man seated in the row behind him.

But if not for one man's purchase of honeydew melon balls before a weekend in the Hamptons some years ago, the U.S. Open's signature cocktail might not have looked as it does today.

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Fox News Digital spoke with Nick Mautone, a mixologist and hospitality industry consultant who served as brand ambassador for Grey Goose vodka, to discuss the birth of the beverage.

A New York native who lives in Seattle today, Mautone said he was tasked with creating a new cocktail for the U.S. Open when Grey Goose became the official beverage sponsor in 2006.

As Mautone was driving home in the Hamptons, he stopped to pick up some items to create a dessert salad that he intended to make for guests who would be visiting. 

On the grocery list were honeydew melon balls.

"Immediately the thunderbolt went off and I said, 'Holy cow, these look just like tennis balls,'" Mautone recalled to Fox News Digital. 

"So, from that moment on, I knew that that was the garnish, non-negotiable."

Mautone presented it to the brand team at Grey Goose, who "fell in love" with the garnish; he also spoke to the U.S. Open staff.

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"The people doing the food service operations were less than thrilled at the idea of making a gazillion honeydew melon balls," Mautone said.

That is, until they found a company that "makes hundreds of thousands of melon balls every day and ships them fresh to the U.S. Open."

Mautone played around with "a couple of iterations" of the cocktail at first, including one version that used blackberry liqueur, before settling on the final recipe.

It includes Grey Goose vodka, fresh lemonade, a "drizzle" of Chambord black raspberry liqueur and, of course, the honeydew melon balls.

The goal, Mautone said, was to avoid making "a very complex drink so that the bartenders can actually serve it without getting frustrated."

He added, "It's a very simple two- or three-step process for a bartender to make the drink." He said he was "dead set on a tall drink as well."

Since the tournament is played in New York in August, Mautone didn't want "something very spirit-forward because it's too alcoholic and not pleasant to drink in the summer heat."

Mautone said he believes patrons were "getting bored with beer and other libations" — so the Honey Deuce came along at the right time.

"Lo and behold, it's become a cultural icon," Mautone said.

He attributes much of it to "old-school guerrilla marketing," he said.

"It went viral," he said.

The cocktail was crafted before Instagram existed and while social media was still in its infancy — so the Honey Deuce didn't find fame outside of Queens, New York, until much later.

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"It's become a cultural phenomenon by virtue of social media, specifically the honeydew melon balls, which I think a lot of people just look at as a genius garnish at a tennis match," Mautone said. 

"So it's become an Instagram-worthy drink that's very friendly, very refreshing and inviting."

The Honey Deuce has been in the news recently after its latest price hike, selling for $23. 

It sold for $22 at last year's tournament.

Mautone said he thinks the beverage, which comes with a souvenir cup, is priced appropriately.

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"If I was in midtown Manhattan or a great craft cocktail bar in Brooklyn and I ordered a craft cocktail, I'd be paying $18," he said. 

"So, when you say $23, it's not that much more for the experience you're getting at, to me, one of the greatest sporting events in the country."

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Mautone said he plans to attend the U.S. Open. 

And when asked if he intended to order a Honey Deuce while he's there, his answer was emphatic: "Absolutely."