Tulsa looks to the future after most victories in nine years

TULSA, Okla. (AP) _ The final victory of Tulsa's best season since 1991 was just moments old. But quarterback Josh Blankenship already was thinking ahead. <br><br>``Next year started today,''

Sunday, November 26th 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

TULSA, Okla. (AP) _ The final victory of Tulsa's best season since 1991 was just moments old. But quarterback Josh Blankenship already was thinking ahead.

``Next year started today,'' Blankenship pronounced after the Golden Hurricane's 38-3 win over Nevada on Saturday. ``Coach Burns said it best. He said, `We've taken our last steps backwards,' and that's the truth.''

On the record books, it would look like just another losing season in a string of losing seasons _ 5-7, 4-4 in the Western Athletic Conference. But the five victories are the Golden Hurricane's most since it won the Freedom Bowl nine years ago; its WAC record the best since joining the conference in 1996.

Coach Keith Burns seized upon his team's potential after Saturday's game.

``I think we've figured out what it takes for us to win here,'' he said. ``It's not throwing for 300 and 400 yards. It's knocking people off the ball and to run the football. In the last two weeks, we've proven that we can run the football.''

He had just watched freshman Eric Richardson race to his second 190-plus yard game in two weeks, something that hadn't been done by a Golden Hurricane player since Howard Waugh in 1952. Richardson's powerful bursts gave him 206 yards against the Wolf Pack.

``We weren't able to stop the run all day,'' said Nevada coach Chris Tormey, whose team (2-10, 1-7) finished with its fewest wins since 1964's 1-9 season.

Tulsa's defense held Nevada to 170 total yards, the lowest for an opponent since 1991. The Wolf Pack managed only 17 yards rushing.

The opening of the running game also opened up possibilities for Tulsa's passing game, said Blankenship, who threw for 150 yards and two touchdowns.

``Eric is an athlete,'' Blankenship said. ``You have to give credit to the linemen for making those holes for him. That's two weeks in a row. We were able to run the ball no matter what, especially in the second half.''

Richardson had spent part of the season as a substitute at wide receiver for an injured Corey Brown. The return of Brown, combined with the efforts of receiver Donald Shoals, and Richardson and Ken Bohanon at running back, gave Tulsa an arsenal, Burns said.

``We had all our weapons and a belief that we could get it done,'' he said. ``We never quit.''

Burns expects to have most of those weapons on offense next year. Only Brown is among the seniors who played their last game Saturday.

Burns, who ends his first season as Tulsa's head coach, saw recruitment opportunities in Richardson's performance. He envisioned the potential linemen ``who would want to come and block for a guy like that.''

Even in a season in which he had to give up his dreams of a bowl bid and then his hopes for a winning record, Burns said the players never gave up on themselves. The future, he said, looks bright.

``I wish you could have been here on Sundays when that team came down the ramp for practice,'' he said. ``Whatever happened on Saturday, they came with the attitude and the work ethic to get better and improve.''