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NORMAN, Okla. (AP) -- The timing of Oklahoma's bye week gave the Sooners seven extra days to hear about how badly they played in closer-than-expected win at Iowa State, and enough time to fix it too.

After their first four conference games were all decided in the fourth quarter, the No. 4 Sooners (8-1, 4-1 Big 12) returned to the form that had them blowing out opponents early in the season.

"Just everything we did, I thought was real solid," coach Bob Stoops said after Oklahoma's 42-14 rout of Texas A&M on Saturday night.

Sam Bradford was back on his game after a wind-affected performance in a 17-7 win against the last-place Cyclones, tying the school record with five touchdown passes for the second time in nine career starts. The Sooners also neutralized the Aggies' triple-option attack that helped A&M become the ninth-best rushing offense in the country.

But for a few pre-snap mistakes and some after-the-whistle confrontations, the Sooners appeared to be back on their game for a stretch drive toward the Big 12 title game.

"I don't have much to pick at," Stoops said. "I was displeased with some of the penalties. We got a few procedures, which we haven't been having lately, and a couple of the personal fouls. All of that Mickey Mouse stuff after the play I don't like. Hopefully we can grow out of that a little bit and be a little better than that."

After outscoring its nonconference opponents 246-47, Oklahoma had been tied or trailed in the fourth quarter of each of its first four conference games, earning few style points among poll voters. Victory was never in doubt against the Aggies, as Oklahoma took a 35-0 lead after three quarters and then bullied its way down the field in an 8-minute drive to milk the clock.

"Before the game, that wasn't really something that we were focused on. We just wanted to make sure that we won. Everybody talks about the big picture, the BCS picture and all that stuff, but if we don't win the rest of our games then none of that really matters," receiver Malcolm Kelly said.

"Winning pretty, it kind of helps. After the game, you can kind of talk about it helped a little bit as far as the BCS picture."

The Sooners expected to moved up to fifth place in the BCS standings released Sunday.

"It's unfortunate that we've got that one loss under our belts and we've put ourselves in a position to wait around and wait, wait, wait," defensive end Alonzo Dotson said. "It's fortunate that (the upsets) did happen, so it puts us in a position where we hopefully can still be in the hunt for the national championship."

It will help if Oklahoma plays more like the team that easily handled the Aggies instead of the one that couldn't hold onto the ball against Iowa State.

"We're the same team," said tight end Jermaine Gresham, who tied a school record with four touchdown catches Saturday. "When we get our mind together and come together and play, we can play with the best of them."