KU football’s turnaround isn’t lost on this senior: ‘What we’ve done ... is historic’
University of Kansas linebacker Rich Miller has a tradition.
He’s never lost in any of his football career’s final games — meaning his last game at any single level of football — dating back to pee-wee football.
KU will play against UNLV in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl on Dec. 26, the last game of Miller’s college career. And Miller’s tradition is on the line.
“I don’t want to leave my senior year off an ‘L,’” Miller said. “I never have in my last games. My last game of little league, last game of high school, I never left off (with) an ‘L.’ I want to keep that going, and I never want to lose.”
Last season, the Jayhawks lost to Arkansas 55-53 in a triple-overtime thriller at the Liberty Bowl in Memphis. That experience left a lasting impression on Miller.
“We fought hard but waited too late to do it,” he said. “I don’t ever want to be like, ‘We waited too late,’ or, ‘It’s something different we could have done.’ How about, ‘Let’s give our all from the jump. Let’s do what we need to do from the jump.’ And I took that to every game (this season).
“Let’s not get ourselves in the position where we need to fight back like that.”
That mentality has paid off.
Kansas (8-4, 5-4 Big 12) finished with its best regular-season record since 2007 (11-1). The Jayhawks clinched back-to-back consecutive bowl appearances for just the second time ever (previously done in the 2007 and 2008 seasons).
A win in the bowl game would be a fitting end to Miller’s three seasons at Kansas after transferring in from Buffalo after the 2020 season. The linebacker finished with 56 tackles, including four tackles for loss and two sacks this regular season.
“What we’ve done this year is historic,” Miller said. “We’ve done things that haven’t been done here in a long time. Just adding that on top is even better. ... Of course, we want to leave with a win. Nine wins on top of that. When was the last time someone at Kansas (finished) with nine wins?
“So right now, we’re trying to be the first to do a lot of things in a while. So it’s really good, man. It’s good to want to go down in history.”
The historic struggles of KU football aren’t lost on Miller’s teammate and Lawrence native, running back Devin Neal.
Neal’s first season with the Jayhawks came right after KU finished 0-9.
From 2010, the first year after the Mark Mangino era, to 2021, the first year of the Lance Leipold era, Kansas won no more than three games in a season and went winless twice (2015, 2020).
Neal and Miller have been a pivotal part of Kansas’ turnaround. And now, the pair get to reap the rewards — like playing in another bowl game.
“It just tells everyone how special this group is, and it’s really unique just to be a part of this team and this program (that) really flipped things around,” Neal said. “For years to come, we are going to be a team that’s respected and (one that played) in different bowl games — and hopefully, playing in the big one, one day.”
