Leipold reflects on two years at KU

LAWRENCE (KSNT) - Lance Leipold held his first fall practice at KU exactly two years ago.

In those two years, he brought a struggling team to a bowl game and more.

"I don't think we knew how drastically behind we really were because you just put your head down and go, but looking at where it was and where other people were at that time... It's been really neat to see the maturation," Leipold said.

Players notice the difference, too. They’re more mature, have higher expectations and know how to live up to those expectations while continuing to raise them.

"The way we could talk to each other, the way we undertsand each other, everything is different," linebacker Rich Miller said. "I'm not going to say we weren't a real team then, but we're a real team now. We know what each other can do, so now it's just up to us to put it on the field."

After just one day of camp, Leipold doesn't exactly know what his team will be ready for by the time the season starts. However, he knows the trajectory they're on will continue.