photo by: Nick Krug

Kansas head coach Lance Leipold congratulates Kansas running back Devin Neal (4) following the Jayhawks’ 37-21 win over Colorado on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024 at Arrowhead Stadium.

Kansas City, Mo. — To hear head coach Lance Leipold tell it, Kansas running backs coach Jonathan Wallace rotated in backup running back Sevion Morrison early with the knowledge it might be “a heavy day of carries” for senior starter Devin Neal.

That ended up being an understatement. Neal finished Saturday with a career-high 37 carries and 41 overall touches for 287 yards.

“I’m going to feel that tomorrow,” he said postgame.

And that was after he voluntarily came back in for one final drive, meaning seven more carries, when the outcome — a momentous victory over 16th-ranked Colorado to continue the Jayhawks’ November run through the class of the Big 12 Conference — was already decided.

“Sevi was going to go in that last drive, and then Coach Wallace was like, ‘Do you want it?'” Neal recalled. “I’m like, ‘Sure man, why not, let’s go out this type of way.’ It was just special to do it in front of that type of crowd.”

Leipold said the performance, in front of 56,470, was a fitting “exclamation mark” on Neal’s career, one that has had him perpetually on the field and at the forefront of the Jayhawks’ rebuild since he arrived from Lawrence High School as a freshman in 2021.

“I just remember my first snap, being here and being a little baby out there, 190 pounds and honestly not really ready to play,” Neal said. “But there’s so many people along this road that helped me get to this position. All the fans that showed up today, they could have easily given up on us … I just felt all the love, support for the guys. We enjoy that. We’re humans at the end of the day.”

The Buffaloes had no answer for Neal at any point throughout the day. After giving up 134 combined rushing yards in its previous two double-digit victories, CU allowed 207 to Neal and 311 to the Jayhawks overall.

“I just seen the numbers, man,” teammate Cobee Bryant said at his postgame press conference. “It was crazy, I ain’t going to lie.”

Neal struck first through the air, taking a checkdown from quarterback Jalon Daniels half the length of the field for a score. In the second quarter, he ran for his first rushing touchdown, then took a wildcat snap around right end for 47 yards.

By the time the second half rolled around and KU’s lead had dwindled from 17 points to just two, his 28-yard run got the Jayhawks going again, and he had six additional carries for 27 yards and another score.

“He’s somebody who wants to make a play,” Daniels said. “He’s not selfish at all… but when the ball’s given to him, he’s going to go out there and make a play.”

Finally, in the fourth quarter, Neal helped KU close out a game in a manner it has so rarely gotten the chance to this season. Throughout, his hard work on the ground helped the Jayhawks control the time-of-possession battle.

“Not saying anything about getting 37 carries, but just being able to just be downhill and do what we’re supposed to do and be physical in the trenches, it was really important and really good for us to see,” Neal said.

All the while, he fought for yards after contact, made cuts that vexed the Buffaloes’ defense and helped kill any chance of a CU comeback.

“There was one play today, we had inside zone and there was a free tackler he made miss in the backfield,” Daniels said. “I just had to go up to Dev like, ‘Dang. Good play, bro.’ There’s nothing else you can say about that.”

As much as Neal’s senior-day showing capped off his home career in a memorable fashion, the Jayhawks still have goals far beyond the Kansas City area.

They have won three consecutive games, all over ranked opponents, bouncing back from an emotional loss at Kansas State.

“Just looking around on that Sunday (after K-State), I’m like ‘OK. I see it now. I see the glimmer in the eyes,'” Neal said.

They beat Iowa State, BYU and Colorado; now, they must win at Baylor for the first time ever next Saturday in order to secure bowl eligibility.

“We have to go back with the same mindset, of that hunger,” Neal said, “because we still want to play with each other for as long as we can, and play in late December or whatever it may be.”

Chances are Neal will need to figure prominently into any KU victory, as he has for the last four years and as he will for, at most, two more games.