KU Football: 2016 Season Was Step in the Right Direction
KU football wrapped up their 2016 season this past weekend. While the season had more negatives than positives, there is reason for optimism on the horizon.
Look. The University of Kansas is a widely known basketball program, okay? They haven’t been relevant in football for nearly a decade, so when the team managed to win two games in 2016, THAT’S A GOOD THING.
I’m not trying to poke fun here, the Kansas Jayhawks improved greatly with their football team in 2016 and there is reason to be excited for the coming years.
Will it happen overnight? No, but this team did a hell of a lot better than a season ago.
In David Beaty’s second year coaching the Jayhawks, they went 2-10 and won their first Big 12 game in two years. Not only that, but they were contenders in several games, including match-ups against Iowa State, Ohio, and TCU.
Obviously, the biggest moment for the Jayhawks came when they defeated the Texas Longhorns in their final home game at Lawrence for the season. It was an overtime win for the Jayhawks and showed that this team does have some fight in them and can beat teams they’re not supposed to.
At the beginning of the season, KU won their first game since 2014, by beating Rhode Island. Fans stormed the field after that game, which they did again against Texas.
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It’s been a rough go of it for the KU football program, there’s no doubt about that.
Ever since the school fired Mark Mangino, KU has failed to get anything going with their football team. They hired Charlie Weis in 2012 and he won a whopping four games while there for two seasons.
Beaty came in after that and the Jayhawks failed to win a game during his first season as head coach. That’s what made the 2016 season even more important, as two winless seasons would get anyone fired.
Beaty has a passion for football and that’s showcased on the field each and every week. He seems really excited to go out there and coach and he’s already proven that he’s leading this program in the right direction.
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With freshman quarterback Carter Stanley getting his feet wet in 2016 and looking pretty good at times, KU football could be headed for an even bigger improvement in 2017 and beyond.
Keep being patient, Jayhawk fans. Soon your school will have the better football program than your enemies to the east as well as the better basketball program.