NORMAN, Okla. -- A little punishment wasn't about to slow down Dede Westbrook.

Oklahoma's senior wide receiver was held out of the starting lineup Saturday against Kansas State but quickly made an impact.

Westbrook had nine catches for 184 yards and three touchdowns as the No. 19 Sooners posted a 38-17 victory over Kansas State in front of 86,049 at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium.

"Dede's been capable of what he's doing now all along," Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield said. "We've been waiting for that for a while."

Westbrook has had three consecutive big games, racking up a combined 26 catches for 574 yards and eight touchdowns to begin Big 12 play.

The clincher was his 88-yard touchdown pass with 6:31 remaining on the first play of a drive after the Sooners forced the Wildcats to punt.

"I didn't think coach (Lincoln) Riley was going to call that play," Westbrook said. "I thought maybe he was going to milk the clock a little more and just take it out from there but for him to call that play, it means he really trusts in me."

Oklahoma (4-2, 3-0 Big 12) has won three consecutive games to start conference play after stumbling to a 1-2 start.

Sooners coach Bob Stoops said Westbrook was held out of the starting lineup after he was forced to miss practice time to handle a personal matter during the week.

He came into the game on the third play, though, and almost immediately started helping the Sooners' offense.

"The difference is that we allowed guys to run absolutely free and catch the football," Kansas State coach Bill Snyder said. "If you don't play defense, they could score anytime they snap the ball."

Westbrook also had touchdown catches of 26 and 8 yards as the Sooners racked up 510 yards of total offense.

Stoops knew the play that wound up creating the 26-yard touchdown was a good one when Riley, the Sooners' offensive coordinator, added it into the playbook earlier in the week.

"That's one of those - that's a score," Stoops said. "As soon as you see it, 'Yeah, that's going to be tough.'"

Mayfield handed the ball to running back Joe Mixon, who took the ball to the right before pulling up to find Westbrook wide open for the score.

Mixon also had a big game after struggling with three fumbles a week earlier against Texas.

In addition to throwing for the touchdown, he caught three passes for 34 yards and a score and rushed for 88 yards.

"Joe was sensational in running the football and making a good defense miss him," Stoops said.

Before the game, he told Mayfield that he planned to hurdle a Kansas State defender.

He made good on that promise early, swinging out of the backfield and pulling in Mayfield's pass, leaping over Wildcats safety Dante Barnett en route to the end zone.

The score gave the Sooners a 14-0 lead.

"We kind of early on missed some tackles," Kansas State defensive end Jordan Willis said. "I feel like some guys might have been ready to play, some might not have been so I don't know."

The Wildcats (3-3, 1-2 Big 12) stayed in the game into the fourth quarter with the help of their grind-it-out offense and by forcing a turnover but Westbrook eventually put any hope of a third-consecutive Kansas State win in Norman to rest.

It could've been an even bigger day for Westbrook.

On the Sooners' first drive of the second half, he was wide open when Mayfield heaved a ball from beyond midfield but Westbrook got turned around on the throw and couldn't haul it in for what would've been a touchdown.

Westbrook said the wind affected his judgment on the throw.

"I want that deep pass back," Westbrook said. "I'm pretty down on myself about that. That's something I can control."

Both teams lost key players.

Oklahoma running back Samaje Perine left the game after the game's first drive with a pulled hamstring.

Perine finished off that drive with a 25-yard touchdown reception, diving to the end zone for the score.

Stoops said Perine could've returned if they would've been forced to use him but he wanted to take a cautious approach.

Kansas State lost quarterback Jesse Ertz as well.

Ertz was hit late in the first half just before throwing an incompletion in the end zone.

He missed one series with the shoulder injury, briefly heading to the locker room for evaluation, before returning to the game just before halftime.

Ertz's first throw of the second half sailed wide and he was replaced by backup Joe Hubener for the remainder of the game.

Dominique Heath had seven catches for 101 yards and a touchdown for the Wildcats.

NOTES: Oklahoma RB Joe Mixon's second-quarter touchdown pass was the first by a Sooners running back since 1973. ... Oklahoma WR Jordan Smallwood started in place of Dede Westbrook. ... Westbrook also took over punt-return duties from Mixon after Mixon struggled a week earlier against Texas. ... The teams started a combined six players with the first name of Jordan - four on Oklahoma's defense. ... Kansas State hosts Texas next Saturday. ... Oklahoma plays at Texas Tech next Saturday.