Quick Lane Bowl 2014: Rutgers vs. North Carolina Viewing Info and Stars to Watch
College football fans are getting a belated Christmas present in the form of the Quick Lane Bowl between Rutgers and North Carolina.
Neither team is particularly good, with the Scarlet Knights finishing 7-5 and the Tar Heels coming in at 6-6. However, this game should feature plenty of scoring. Rutgers and UNC combined to allow 69.8 points per game during the season.
At the very least, the Quick Lane Bowl should be entertaining.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
The three players below are among the biggest reasons to foresee an offensive explosion.
When: Friday, Dec. 26, at 4:30 p.m. ET
Where: Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan
TV Info: ESPN
Live Stream: Watch ESPN
Stars to Watch
Leonte Carroo, Rutgers, WR
Leonte Carroo's 2014 stats should come with some sort of asterisk indicating Gary Nova was his quarterback. Who knows what the junior wideout could've done with a more consistent quarterback?
Carroo caught 53 passes for 1,043 yards and 10 touchdowns. His numbers dwarfed everybody else on the team. Each stat was more than double the output of the next closest player. It came as no surprise when he was named the Scarlet Knights' offensive MVP:
The Big Ten media also named Carroo to the All-Big Ten team, per Dan Duggan of NJ.com:
North Carolina safety Tim Scott knows that stopping the stellar wide receiver will be among the Tar Heels' top tasks.
"He's a big-play guy," Scott said, per Duggan. "When it comes to the passing game, he'll be the guy that's most likely going to have the ball in his hands so we have to do a great job of containing him and making sure he doesn't get those big plays on us like he has in the past."
Carroo hasn't yet put his name in the 2015 draft hat, but it wouldn't be a surprise to see him do so. A big bowl game won't make him a first-round pick overnight. It could, however, raise some eyebrows and get him on the radar of some teams.
Marquise Williams, North Carolina, QB
If you're curious as to how a team ranked 116th in total defense could win six games, look no further than Marquise Williams. The junior quarterback threw for 2,870 yards and 20 touchdowns and also rushed for 982 yards and 12 touchdowns.
The Tar Heels don't have any hope of winning this game if Williams struggles. The defense almost certainly won't shut down the Rutgers offense, which means that Williams playing well is paramount to his team's success.
It's not a coincidence that he's thrown 11 touchdowns to 10 interceptions in North Carolina losses, compared to 20 and five, respectively, in UNC wins. His completion percentage is also four points lower in defeats.
Rutgers ranks 105th in rushing defense, so the Scarlet Knights are ripe for the picking on the ground. Williams should find running lanes when he scrambles out of the pocket. The more success he has running the ball, the more the secondary will open up.
Ryan Switzer, North Carolina, WR
Williams' favorite target by far is Ryan Switzer. Switzer leads the team in receptions (55) and yards (703), throwing in four touchdowns as well. He's not the most dynamic big-play threat in the Heels' passing game, but you can count on Switzer getting plenty of touches Friday.
Switzer also regularly returns punts for the Tar Heels. While he's averaging just 4.9 yards a return, you never know when he could spring free for a touchdown. He took five punts to the house last year.
In case you really need a reason to root for Switzer, Dijana Kunovac of Inside Carolina provided this anecdote:
How can you not like this guy?
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
