Quick Lane Bowl 2015: Central Michigan vs. Minnesota TV Schedule, Time and Odds
On paper, the Quick Lane Bowl between the Central Michigan Chippewas and Minnesota Golden Gophers looks like just another bowl game.
Beneath the surface, though, there's a MAC powerhouse looking to prove it belongs and provide one of the bowl season's most shocking upsets.
On the other side of the matchup is Minnesota, a team with a losing record (5-7) going bowling thanks to academic achievement, and it is much deserved after losing coach Jerry Kill to retirement due to health reasons and hanging tough against ranked programs.
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One of the season's better stories gets written Monday between two programs that made it through the fire of adversity to this point. Here's everything to know.
Game Details
When: Monday, December 28, at 5 p.m. ET
Where: Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan
Television: ESPN2
Live Stream: WatchESPN
Tickets: ScoreBig.com
Over/Under: 48
Spread: Minnesota (-5)
Team Injury Reports
| Stefon Armstead | DB | Ques Mon |
| Joe Ostman | DL | Ques Mon |
| Jerrod Davis | RB | Out indefinitely |
| Devon Spalding | RB | Out indefinitely |
| Mitch Leidner | QB | Prob Mon |
| Rodney Smith | RB | Ques Mon |
| Jalen Myrick | DB | Prob Mon |
| Ben Lauer | OL | Ques Mon |
| Steven Richardson | DT | Prob Mon |
| Isaiah Gentry | WR | Ques Mon |
| Jeff Jones | WR | Ques Mon |
| Scott Ekpe | DL | Prob Mon |
Injury reports courtesy of USA Today.
Something to Prove
Central Michigan posted seven wins this season and broke a few records in the process behind the arm of quarterback Cooper Rush.
Rush completed 67.2 percent of his passes this year with 3,703 yards and 25 touchdowns to 10 interceptions, the yardage total a single-season record. The air-raid attack has five names with 500 or more receiving yards:
| Jesse Kroll | 59 | 856 | 14.5 | 46 (TD) | 4 |
| Anthony Rice | 56 | 584 | 10.4 | 30 | 4 |
| Ben McCord | 37 | 570 | 15.4 | 83 (TD) | 5 |
| Mark Chapman | 43 | 559 | 13.0 | 52 | 1 |
| Corey Willis | 33 | 513 | 15.5 | 67 (TD) | 5 |
For Rush, it's now all about moving the program forward.
The Associated Press captured his thoughts: "We're very excited, it's going to be a great challenge for us. Minnesota has a very good secondary. We'll have to earn everything against them and execute on every play. We want to get this game, get our eighth win and head into the offseason with some momentum."
The Golden Gophers allow just 182.4 passing yards per game, so it's a stiff test for a program looking to prove it could remain relevant in a conference such as the Big Ten.
Given Minnesota's ability not only to play stout defense, but grind it out with a pair of talented running backs, and Monday looks like the biggest test of the Chippewas' season.
Finishing Strong
The Golden Gophers not only carry a losing record into Monday's contest, they also tout the nation's longest postseason losing streak, which currently sits at seven.
The biggest blow, though, is the absence of Kill.
"Losing Coach Kill was tough on us all, but our kids have fought awfully hard to give us a chance," Minnesota coach Tracy Claeys said, according to Cory Butzin of MLive.com.
Minnesota went 1-4 after losing its coach, though hope remains the season can end on a high note.
The offense leans on Shannon Brooks and Rodney Smith in the backfield. The former has 644 rushing yards and seven scores this year, while the latter has been more of a grind-it-out workhorse with his 596 yards and two scores.
The Golden Gophers are truly explosive, though, when quarterback Mitch Leidner can provide a threat through the air. He has 251 rushing yards and five scores, but just 13 touchdowns to 10 interceptions.
Of course, a tough schedule hasn't helped the perception about the Golden Gophers given the fact the team lost to five ranked teams. Central Michigan isn't ranked, but a win against the Chippewas might mean more than any other.
Prediction
There will be a talent disparity on display Monday afternoon.
As explosive as Central Michigan has looked this year, keep in mind this is the same team that lost to Western Kentucky in a bowl game last year despite seven touchdowns by Rush.
Rush isn't throwing for anything close to that on this secondary, especially now with limited opportunities as the Golden Gophers grind this one out on the shoulders of their talented backs.
Look for Minnesota to pounce on a lead and stick with it, ending a drought and capping off a wild season in a Hollywood-esque manner.
Prediction: Minnesota 24, Central Michigan 20
Statistics courtesy of ESPN unless otherwise specified. All betting information courtesy of Odds Shark.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
