Peterson runs for 240 yards, three TDs
WACO, Texas (AP) -- No regrets for Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops this
week, just the lopsided win the (No. 2 ESPN/USA Today, No. 3 AP) Sooners needed to pad their
BCS numbers.
Adrian Peterson ran for 240 yards, including three second-half
touchdowns, and Jason White threw two TD passes in a 35-0 win
Saturday against Baylor. Neither played the final 11 minutes.
A week ago, Stoops had his starters playing the final minute,
and bypassing a field goal chance on fourth down in a 30-3 win over
Nebraska. He regretted that decision, and wasn't going to repeat
it.
"Anyone that doesn't see the dilemma we're in is not being
totally fair. We're in a bad position right now," Stoops said. "I
made the wrong choice [last week]. I wish I chose sportsmanship
over BCS points."
The latest polls only proved Stoops' point.
Oklahoma was caught by Auburn in this week's AP Top 25. The
Sooners remained second behind top-rated Southern California in the
Bowl Championship Series standings, but their margin over Auburn
was cut in half.
"We just know all we can do is go out and win games," said
White, who 19-of-32 for 194 yards. "The rest, we can't do anything
about. We know if we stay undefeated, that's all we can do."
After a slow start Saturday, the Sooners (11-0, 8-0 Big 12)
scored on four straight possessions. White threw a 10-yard
touchdown pass to Travis Wilson just before halftime to make it
14-0, and Peterson had short TD runs on the first three drives of
the second half.
Oklahoma has have never lost in 14 games against Baylor (3-8,
1-7), the previous five wins coming by an average margin of 38
points.
Peterson, who had 32 carries, tied the NCAA record for most
100-yard games by a freshman with his 10th. It came a week after he
was held to 58 yards by Nebraska to snap his freshman record of
nine straight 100-yard games.
Oklahoma, which completed its 19th undefeated regular season and
third under Stoops, outgained Baylor 501-156 yards. The Sooners
have won 23 straight regular-season games.
"It is difficult to enjoy being 11-0 the way the structure is
right now," Stoops said.
The Sooners were also undefeated in the regular season last year
at 12-0. They then lost to Kansas State in the Big 12 championship
game and to LSU in the Sugar Bowl.
"We feel like we've gotten better as we've gone," Peterson
said. "We've got to continue and finish it off. Our focus all year
has been on the Big 12 championship game."
White has thrown 17 touchdown passes -- and 183 passes -- since
his last interception six games ago.
Peterson had 83 yards by halftime, and then had a 49-yard carry
on the first play of the second half. He added 14 more right after
that, then capped the 80-yard, five-play drive with his first
touchdown.
Wisconsin's Anthony Davis rushed for more than 100 yards 10
times as a freshman in 2001. Peterson still has two games left, the
Big 12 championship game in two weeks and then a bowl.
Peterson, showing no ill effects from the separated left
shoulder he suffered against Texas A&M two weeks ago, finished just
short of his season high of 249 yards. He has 1,671 this season.
The second Oklahoma drive of the third quarter started with a
14-yard run by Peterson. He then had a 28-yard gain before he
scored from a yard out to make it 28-0.
His last carry was a 2-yard TD run with 11:29 left.
White completed just one of his first nine passes -- a 19-yard TD
to Mark Clayton three plays after Jonathan Jackson recovered a
fumble.
But White was 13-of-25 for 135 yards by halftime, including the
TD to Wilson with 21 seconds left.
"It took a little steam out of us," Baylor coach Guy Morriss
said. "The kids were excited at halftime only being down by 14. We
focused on the opening drive of the second half and tried to
prevent exactly what happened from happening."
Baylor managed to get into Oklahoma territory only twice before
halftime, and was set back by sacks both times. The Bears broke
past midfield only once after halftime.
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2020 Big 12 Conference Standings
TEAM | CONF | OVR |
---|---|---|
Iowa State | 8-1 | 9-3 |
Oklahoma | 6-2 | 9-2 |
Oklahoma State | 6-3 | 8-3 |
Texas | 5-3 | 7-3 |
TCU | 5-4 | 6-4 |
West Virginia | 4-4 | 6-4 |
Kansas State | 4-5 | 4-6 |
Texas Tech | 3-6 | 4-6 |
Baylor | 2-7 | 2-7 |
Kansas | 0-8 | 0-9 |