Tulsa started strong but losing streak remains intact

<br>TULSA, Okla. (AP) _ For one quarter, it looked like Tulsa might end its losing streak. But the Golden Hurricane again failed to play well for a complete game, and remains the team with the longest

Sunday, September 29th 2002, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

TULSA, Okla. (AP) _ For one quarter, it looked like Tulsa might end its losing streak. But the Golden Hurricane again failed to play well for a complete game, and remains the team with the longest losing streak in the nation.

Tulsa (0-5) took an early 13-0 lead over Kansas Saturday night on Tyler Gooch's 30-yard touchdown pass to Montiese Culton and Eric Richardson's 5-yard run.

But Kansas took over from there, scoring 28 unanswered second-quarter points in handing Tulsa its 15th consecutive loss. Tulsa, which has given up 98 first-half points in its last three games, never got closer than nine points again.

``This game always has been and always will be a 60-minute game with four quarters and we played three of those well,'' Tulsa coach Keith Burns said. ``We didn't play on either side of the ball in the second quarter and put ourselves in a hole.''

Not playing well for all four quarters has been a Tulsa trademark all season.

The Golden Hurricane trailed then No. 1 Oklahoma just 3-0 at halftime in the opener, before losing 37-0. They rallied back from a 30-6 deficit against Baylor to lose just 37-25.

``It's frustrating,'' said receiver Montiese Culton, who caught nine passes for 111 yards and three touchdowns against Kansas. ``I thought we were going to run out and dominate this team. We had them down, but we let them get out of it.''

Tyler Gooch, who had just one interception coming into the Kansas game, threw two interceptions in the second quarter that set up Jayhawks' scores.

Burns is pleased that Gooch and the rest of the team didn't give up. The sophomore quarterback passed for 236 yards and four touchdowns while trying to bring Tulsa back.

Gooch's 6-yard touchdown pass to Culton on the team's opening possession pulled Tulsa within nine points, 28-19.

But Kansas' Bill Whittemore, who accounted for 395 yards of total offense and four touchdowns, ran 74 yards for a score just two plays later, permanently shifting momentum back to the Jayhawks.

``The frustrating thing is, we do those things,'' Burns said. ``We have to find a way to win instead of shooting ourselves in the foot. I love that they compete and fight, but at some point we have to find a way to get over the hump.''