Oklahoma vs. Texas Tech 2012: Defense keys Sooners' demolition of Red Raiders

The Oklahoma Sooners had little trouble in defeating the Texas Tech Red Raiders 41-20 on Saturday in Lubbock, Texas, and while the score may indicate an offensive explosion it was actually the Oklahoma defense that keyed the victory.

Quarterback Landry Jones threw for two scores, but it was defensive pressure and three interceptions by the Sooners of Texas Tech quarterback Seth Doege that were responsible for the win. The three interceptions were converted into 14 Oklahoma points, including a 46-yard interception return for touchdown by Javon Harris. As a unit, the Sooners' defense held the Red Raiders passing attack to 271 yards total, roughly 90 below their average output.

The folks at SB Nation's Oklahoma blog Crimson & Cream Machine were happy to hand out some stellar grades to the defensive units:

Defensive Line: This is a unit that struggled early on yet was able to bounce back midway through the second quarter. While they occasionally had a hiccup, they remained solid for the remainder of the afternoon, giving up 89 rushing yards on 32 attempts. B+

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Secondary: A unit that came to play for redemption still gave up 203 yards to Doege before garbage time kicked in. However, they were able to limit him to a season low 61.1% completion rate along with another season low in 5.64 YPA without a passing touchdown while coming up huge with two picks (one pick-six). A

Next weekend is the Red River Shootout, pitting Oklahoma against bitter rival Texas. Kickoff is scheduled for 11:00 a.m. CT from the Cotton Bowl.