By Chad Conine

Tribune-Herald staff wirter

When Oklahoma lost running back Adrian Peterson to a broken collarbone a little more than a month ago, the Soooners suddenly seemed to a lot of Big 12 observers like a beatable team.

After Saturday’s 36-10 dismantling of Baylor — Oklahoma’s fifth straight victory — the Sooners seem like a team that could find its way to the Big 12 Championship Game.

But Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops, who kept his team focused following Peterson’s injury, refused to look forward to that possibility after his team’s victory over the Bears.

He wouldn’t even confess to being an Aggie fan for Friday’s annual Texas-Texas A&M showdown, though an Aggie victory could put Oklahoma in the conference title game.

“We’re going to focus on doing our part,” Stoops said. “That’s all we can do. All I’m thinking about is our game and how we’re going to play Oklahoma State.”

No. 16 Oklahoma (9-2, 6-1 Big 12) used a 23-point surge in the third quarter to ease past Baylor. One reporter asked Sooner defensive back Reggie Smith if he thought the Sooners’ win in front of 31,221 Saturday at Floyd Casey Stadium felt like a spring game — the question perhaps inspired by Oklahoma’s uneven performance.

Smith laughed off the suggestion, but did say the Sooners weren’t quite the Sooners early in this one.

“It took a while for us to find our focus,” Smith said, “but we found our groove and we were going with it.”

Smith epitomized the Sooners’ up-and-down first half, as he intercepted a Blake Szymanski pass and returned it 42 yards for a touchdown to put Oklahoma ahead 13-0 in the first quarter. Moments later, he fumbled a Daniel Sepulveda punt at the Oklahoma 24 that led to Baylor’s only points — a 38-yard Ryan Havens field goal — of the first three quarters.

Former Killeen standout Juaquin Iglesias raced past the Baylor kick-cover team for an 88-yard score in the third quarter to give the Sooners defensive and special teams touchdowns. Those scores took the pressure off an Oklahoma offense that surged and stalled for most of the day. But while the Sooners’ offense often struggled, Baylor’s was having even worse problems against a relentless Oklahoma defensive front.

The Sooners held Baylor to 140 total offensive yards and forced the Bears backwards 48 yards in the rushing category. Oklahoma defensive ends C.J. Ah You and Alonzo Dotson each had two sacks and defensive tackle Steven Coleman added another one.

“I thought we all came together as a collective group,” Dotson said. “It wasn’t easy, but everybody let loose. C.J. was in a mode.”

Sooners defensive ends coach Chris Wilson said the plan was to make Baylor’s offense one-dimensional by pressuring Szymanski. The Oklahoma defense went a step further in holding the Bears to 11 first downs and three points — and those coming as a result of Smith’s fumble.

Stoops said he’ll find out Monday from team doctors about the status of Peterson and fellow running back Allen Patrick, neither of whom played Saturday. But the rest of the Sooners will prepare to keep their winning streak going with or without their two top runners.

“Coach Stoops harps on getting better each week and I feel we did that after that loss (to Texas),” Dotson said.