The University of Kansas football team finished with a 3-9 record this year the same record as its 2018 season, which cost head coach David Beaty his job.
But theres a different feeling about the program this year after Beatys successor, Les Miles, completed his first season.
Beaty was fired after four years as the head coach with a record of 6-42. In 2015, Beatys first season, the Jayhawks were one of two major college football teams in the country the other was Central Florida without a win.
Miles, one of five active coaches this season with a national championship to his credit (2007 with LSU), was named the new coach just over a year ago. And already the sense of change is palpable.
Coach Miles brings so much culture and new change to this program, said Jayhawks junior wide receiver Stephon Robinson. Im just happy to be a part of it. Getting to a bowl game would be one step closer to reach even bigger goals.
Bowl game talk seemed far-fetched early in the season, especially after KU absorbed an uninspiring home loss, 12-7, against Coastal Carolina on Sept. 7. But KU rebounded from that setback with a shocking Friday night road win, 48-24, at Boston College, a team eligible for a bowl game this season with a 6-6 record.
Picked by the Big 12 media in the preseason to finish last in the conference standings, Robinson said the team was aware of the critics grim outlook.
Hearing that is hard because they dont know whats going on inside the program, Robinson said. We kept our heads down and just worked because we knew that we were going to break through. We see that stuff, but we ignore it.
After a 61-6 loss to Baylor in the season finale, the Jayhawks finished last in the Big 12, as the pundits predicted, with a 1-8 conference record. But there were some moments this season that gave the Jayhawks hope that their record wouldve been different, and Miles didnt stand pat after the slow start.
KU lost three games in a row after the win at BC, but Miles shook things up by firing offensive coordinator Les Koenning. The shakeup seemed to spark KU and the Jayhawks nearly knocked off 15th ranked Texas in Austin before losing by two points, 50-48, in the final seconds of the game.
When asked during the season about the teams direction under Miles, starting quarterback Carter Stanley, a senior, cited two things that were encouraging.
Hes all about toughness (and) preparation, Stanley said.
Then KU had another heart-stopping game a week later on Oct. 16, against Texas Tech.
KU kicker Liam Jones had a 40-yard field goal blocked, but on the return the Red Raiders fumbled the ball away. With another chance as time ran out, Jones kicked the game-winning field goal in KUs 37-34 win.
A couple days later, Miles was still giddy about what Jones had done.
