Liberty Bowl a Great Barometer of Kansas Football Program's Rising Status

The Jayhawks demonstrated they belong with tangible milestone, while also understanding there's still work is left to do.

Wednesday provided the full spectrum for Kansas football. The lead up to the 4:30 p.m. kickoff was a celebration of a season that was a surprise to most and put the program way ahead of schedule in Lance Leipold’s second year.

The game itself—or at least the first 45 minutes—was a representation of where the Jayhawks want to be and how much work there is left to do. Then it looked like the better team and it took three overtimes for Arkansas to finally shake Kansas. KU fought, scrapped, and never gave up, which is a quality we have seen all season and is one of the most admirable qualities of this year’s team. And it nearly won them the game. 

There’s ultimately still more to do. And that’s OK. Again, this is early in the Leipold tenure that has now been secured for years to come. Getting here was a hurdle that was more than a decade in the making.

But what Arkansas displayed for the first three quarters was the depth in talent and next-man-up ability that Kansas doesn’t quite have yet. The Razorbacks had 24 players either opt out for the NFL Draft or enter the transfer portal, and still Arkansas was able to move the ball and make plays with both units – and some help from KU, if we’re being honest.

The Liberty Bowl was gravy on the season. Obviously no one in the program traveled to Memphis being OK with losing. And falling in a third overtime is heartbreaking. Kansas was probably more motivated to win than most teams playing during bowl season. But even being in this position was so far off fans’ radar in September that reaching this milestone was what was most important.

This bowl appearance was a tangible milestone that shows the program is headed in the right direction. Before Leipold, all fans had were press conferences, moral victories, and the occasional upset of Texas. Playing in December wet an appetite that was 14 years in the making. Now you have a 25-point deficit erased and a three-overtime shootout against an SEC team that was at one time No. 10 in the country.

It also sets Kansas up great for next year. The Jayhawks got an extra month worth of practices with many skill players returning. Not to mention the confidence builder that this comeback provides. Leipold’s year one was already shortened in the spring with the timing of the hiring. He had a full offseason for year two, but now in year three, Kansas will have a leg up compared to where it would have been had it only one five games.

This is not the end. All signs point to this being still early in the Leipold-Goff-KU tenure. And look at where the program is at already. There are holes to fill and areas to improve on, which should be the case with a 6-6 team. When KU shot itself in the foot, it was tough to overcome.

But Kansas was not outclassed. The Jayhawks proved they belong, with an offense that can score on anyone. And more importantly, along with excitement, Kansas delivered the biggest sign of progress so far.

The most painful thing for fans is probably not the ultimate result on the scoreboard. It’s that they now have to wait nine months to see what comes next. 

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