Kansas football is bowl eligible thanks to record day from Devin Neal

The clocks didn’t just turn back one hour last night for Kansas fans, they turned back 14 years.

For the first time since 2008, the Kansas Jayhawks are bowl eligible following an impressive, 37-16 win against No. 18 Oklahoma State.

The win also marked the end of several ugly losing streaks for this Kansas football program.

The win was KU’s first against a ranked opponent since 2010 – breaking a 44-game losing streak. It was also KU’s first win at home against a ranked opponent since 2005. And it was the Jayhawks’ first win against the Cowboys since 2007.

The historic win would not have been possible though if it weren’t for the historic performance by running back Devin Neal.

Hometown hero

The sophomore sensation – nicknamed the “Real Deal Devin Neal” by Voice of the Jayhawks Brian Hanni – finished the game with 224 yards rushing and a touchdown, while reeling in 110 yards receiving.

Neal is the first Jayhawk in school history to rush for more than 200 yards and have more than 100 yards receiving in a game.

For Neal to be the hero of yesterday’s game that helped lift the Jayhawks to bowl eligibility for the first time in 14 years, seems like a dream come true.

The Lawrence native was the No. 1-ranked prospect in Kansas in the 2021 class (according to Rivals). He could have gone to established programs such as Iowa, Kansas State, or even the team KU just beat – Oklahoma State – who is a perennial top 25 team in the country.

Instead, he chose to stay home and go to KU to help rebuild this program.

That hard work and loyalty to his hometown team is now paying off.

He’s helped get the Jayhawks back to a bowl game for the first time in 14 years and is a key piece to a team that is still in contention for the Big 12 championship.

"“That’s just a result of how we’ve come together as a team,” Neal said following the win. “And it just means a lot more to me especially because growing up here – literally two miles away from the campus – it just means a lot.”"

After yesterday’s performance, Neal now has 761 yards rushing, 143 yards receiving, and 8 total touchdowns on the year.

Neal and the Jayhawks will look to continue their winning ways as they head to Lubbock next Saturday to take on the Texas Tech Red Raiders (2-4 in the Big 12, 4-5 overall).