NORMAN — When he entered the interview room after Saturday night's 34-24 win over Texas Tech, Oklahoma defensive coordinator Brent Venables still hadn't figured out how Graham Harrell held onto the ball when Lendy Holmes cracked the Red Raider quarterback from behind on a fourth-quarter sack.
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But that play was the signifying moment of what Venables' defense had been trying to accomplish all night — breaking through Tech's unique blocking scheme to get to the quarterback.
"They make it difficult by the nature of their physical alignment," Venables said. "As much as anything, you're trying to get the quarterback uncomfortable.
"A lot of times, you recognize you're not going to hit home with your pressure."
Texas Tech's offensive linemen are spread apart wider than a conventional line, which in turn, spreads the defensive front. And the three- and four-receiver sets take away linebackers who also could be used to pressure the quarterback.
Out of 50 pass plays, the Sooners only sacked Harrell twice, both in the fourth quarter.
"It's all a chess match," Venables said. "You show them one thing and then do another.
"Hopefully you hit it right and you want to make sure you're not careless with what you're doing. You're not just blitzing to blitz."
OU came after Harrell more often and in more ways than any quarterback this season, but it was often a trial-and-error process.
"In the first half, they were picking up the blitzes we sent at them," linebacker Rufus Alexander said. "(Venables) switched it up other blitzes that were working.
"We got after him. We knew (Harrell) wasn't comfortable on the run throwing the ball."
The philosophy seemed to work.
Harrell threw for just 250 yards and the Red Raiders had only 107 total yards in the second half.
Venables said the Sooners' blitz schemes were varied, but not out of the ordinary when you're playing an offense like the Red Raiders'.
"That's how you play them," Venables said. "It's not creative genius, by any stretch.
"You've just got to keep mixing it up."
Oklahoma’s Rufus Alexander, right, puts a hit on Texas Tech’s Danny Amendola in the second half during the Sooners’ win over Texas Tech. By bryan terry, the oklahoman
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