Last week, Kansas head coach Mark Mangino complained that his team failed to respond to adversity. He cannot make that claim this week, as the Jayhawks fell behind early in the first quarter, but responded by running off six straight touchdown drives to forge a road win for the first time in the Mangino era.

According to the national polls, this was a game between two of the worst teams in the nation – it made for an interesting game, actually, as neither team wanted to say that it lost to the other. Kansas secured the bragging rights by overcoming a particularly sluggish start.

Once the Jayhawk momentum kicked in they scored touchdowns on six straight possessions. That momentum covered only the middle two quarters, as Kansas scored in neither the first nor the fourth. A late Tulsa surge made the game seem closer than it was.

Perhaps the field at Skelly Stadium is tilted toward one end. Tulsa had no problem sliding to two first-quarter touchdowns, and Kansas doubled that number when they pointed that direction in the second. To start the third quarter, the Golden Hurricane wasted no time in ripping off 82 yards in six plays to pull within nine points.

Bill Whittemore gave the lie to that theory by scampering 74 yards for his third rushing score of the game on KU’s next possession. The play resulted when Whittemore picked up an oncoming Tulsa blitz and called for an option. That run gave the Jayhawks’ quarterback 165 rushing yards on the night at that point.

Whittemore ended his night with his most impressive showing to date, rushing 18 times for a whopping 177 yards. On the other hand, when passing the ball Whittemore started just two for 10, but quickly found his groove. He finished the night 18 for 31 for 219 yards, but several of those misses were because the Jayhawk receivers dropped the ball. All those numbers were made in just three quarters. Zach Dyer came in for KU’s first fourth-quarter possession.

The second quarter saw a complete turnaround of KU’s fortunes. Six touchdown drives in a row built the Jayhawks a 24-point lead, after falling behind early in a dreadful first quarter. A late Tulsa score made the game seem closer than it was.

Kansas notched three first downs, two passing and one running, in their first possession. However, that first drive stalled on the Tulsa 35, and Johnny Beck shanked the field goal attempt against the wind. Kansas Would not move the chains again until their fourth drive.

On the defensive side of the ball early, KU held Tulsa to a three-and-out on their first time with the ball.

Tulsa only had the ball for three plays on their second possession, after Kansas could do nothing with it. However each of those plays went for positive yardage, the last being a 30-yard touchdown pass for the game’s opening score. Kansas did manage to block the extra point attempt to salvage a little of the momentum shift.

The Jayhawks failed to take advantage of that momentum, however, gaining only one yard for their second three-and-out of the first quarter.

Tulsa took the ball and again drove it 45 yards for their second touchdown, though it took them six plays instead of the three of last drive. This time, the extra point kick was good.

Kansas found offensive success when BIll Whittemore ran the ball. KU’s longest offensive play came on a quarterback keeper. Four of KU’s six first-quarter first downs came on Whittemore runs. More importantly, three KU touchdowns came when Whittemore ran the ball.

The Golden Hurricane could do no wrong in the first quarter, and do no right in the second. Their first drive of the quarter stalled after just one first down, and the second ended with a Donnie Amadi interception after just two plays. Their third drive ended just like the second, but it was Remuise Johnson coming up with the pick.

KU’s second touchdown drive went 64 yards in eight plays, capped by a Clark Green four-yard run. KU’s third touchdown drive in a row, born of Amadi’s interception, covered 31 yards in six plays. This time, reserve fullback Austine Nwabuisi hammered the ball in from one yard out.

KU’s last drive of the half, off of Johnson’s interception, covered 51 yards in eight plays, taking just 66 seconds. Whittemore scored his second rushing score of the game.

Both teams came out pumped for the second half, trading touchdowns before KU’s defense shut down Tulsa again.

The Jayhawks’ ensuing drive resulted in their sixth straight touchdown. Eleven plays, 80 yards, and Adrian Jones snagged a 10-yard pass for the score. Opting to go for two, Whittemore tossed a short one to freshman pass-catcher Mark Simmons.

Zach Dyer took over the Jayhawk offense in the last frame. His first drive was the first for KU not to go for a touchdown since the first quarter. That drive ended in kicker Johnny Beck’s second missed field goal for the night. Beck went on to miss his third kick of the night to end KU’s next drive.

Tulsa tried to find a miracle late by driving 80 yards in 8 plays to come within 10 points at the 2:39 mark. Reserve KU quarterback Jonas Weatherbie fell on the resulting onside kick, and Kansas managed to run the clock down to 27 seconds.

With the win, Kansas improves to 2-3 on the season. Kansas next travels to Waco, Texas, to take on the Baylor Bears. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m.

For full coverage of today’s game, read tomorrow’s Lawrence Journal-World, and see KUSports.com.