NORMAN, Okla. -- When Oklahoma defensive coordinator Mike Stoops walked into the postgame interview room after his No. 16 Sooners blew out Kansas 56-3 on Saturday, his demeanor was a bit more upbeat than it was a week before.

A dominant defensive performance was just what the beleaguered brother of Oklahoma head coach Bob Stoops needed.

By the time Mike Stoops walked in, many of the assembled media had dispersed, leaving a small crowd around the assistant.

"I'm just glad you’re here," Stoops said to the group. "If we gave up 900 yards tonight, all those other guys would be over here."

It might've come against Kansas -- losers of seven consecutive games after the rout at Gaylord Family - Oklahoma Memorial Stadium -- but that didn't matter a ton.

Mike Stoops needed a strong performance after his defense was carved up for 854 yards of total offense in a 66-59 win at Texas Tech a week before.

Saturday, Kansas had 684 yards less, managing just 49 rushing yards and 121 yards through the air.

"It's positive to play well," Bob Stoops said. "It's one week. Next week will be another journey. In our world, you live week to week."

This performance came with a patchwork group thanks to injuries all over the defense.

All of Oklahoma’s expected group of starting defensive linemen were out as were two of their starting linebackers from the start of the season and the cornerback who had seemed to finally stabilize the position.

Although injuries had been a consistent theme defensively this year, the losses Oklahoma faced Saturday gave Mike Stoops the license to try out some new combinations.

Freshman Caleb Kelly and redshirt freshman Ricky DeBerry started at linebacker. Curtis Bolton, another young linebacker, saw significant action for the second consecutive week. Oklahoma’s defensive line, emaciated by not just the loss of Charles Walker, Matt Dimon and Matt Romar but others who added depth, had to rely on redshirt freshman Du’Vonta Lampkin for stretches. Lampkin just earned his way back onto the field last week after serving a six-game suspension to start the year.

"I was pleased that we were able to play a lot of players and get a lot of guys involved," Mike Stoops said.

The win put Oklahoma (6-2, 5-0 Big 12) in sole position of first place in the Big 12 after previously undefeated Baylor and West Virginia fell earlier Saturday.

While the defense put together a bounce-back performance, the offense kept right on rolling.

Receiver Dede Westbrook was sensational once again, returning a first-quarter punt 71 yards for a touchdown and scoring on a 41-yard pass from Baker Mayfield early in the second quarter.

Over the last five games, Westbrook has 881 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns.

He nearly added another against the Jayhawks but his apparent kick return for a touchdown was called back thanks to a holding call that Bob Stoops said he disagreed with after the game.

"Dede was just sensational all night," Bob Stoops said. "He’s just lightning in everything that he does."

After the game, Westbrook wore a New York Giants jersey of Sterling Shepard, the player Westbrook has replaced in Lincoln Riley's Air Raid offense.

Westbrook credited Shepard, who was in attendance Saturday, with helping develop him as a wide receiver.

"Dede, you leave a lot of money out on the field," Westbrook recalled Shepard telling him last season. "I just use that as motivation."

Though Westbrook was a strong contributor last year in his first season with the Sooners, he's blossomed into a star with his October surge.

"Dede Westbrook is fantastic," Kansas coach David Beaty said. "He's as good as advertised and he's even better when you're looking down that sideline.'"

Kansas (1-7, 0-5) has now dropped seven consecutive games.

"I didn't see any quit in our guys," Beaty said. "Our defense was on the field quite a bit and I thought offensively we didn't do anything to help our defense by staying on the field long enough to get those guys some rest."

The Jayhawks started off decently, forcing a punt on the first drive before Westbrook's punt return gave the Sooners a shot in the arm, and then his long touchdown catch ignited a stretch where Oklahoma scored touchdowns on seven consecutive possessions to turn the game into a rout.

Mayfield finished with 236 yards and four touchdowns through the air, his third consecutive game with at least four passing touchdowns.

Westbrook had five catches for 105 yards and added a 24-yard run to give the Sooners a long third-down conversion as well.

About the only thing that didn't go right for Westbrook -- outside of the kick return that was called back -- was an incomplete pass he threw early in the game.

NOTES: Oklahoma was without DE Amani Bledsoe, who was suspended indefinitely. The Sooners were already without their two starting DEs, Matt Dimon and Charles Walker, who are out with injury. … Kansas S Mike Lee was injured in the second quarter making a tackle on Oklahoma WR Geno Lewis but returned. … The Sooners have won 12 consecutive Big 12 games. … Oklahoma travels to Iowa State on Thursday. … Kansas plays at West Virginia on Friday. on Thursday. ... Kansas plays at West Virginia on Friday.