The Minnesota Golden Gophers take on the Central Michigan Chippewas in the Quick Lane Bowl from Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan. Here’s the complete game preview.
The 2015 season didn’t go according to plan for either Minnesota (5-7) or Central Michigan (7-5) but both programs have a chance to end the season on a high note and enter the offseason with some momentum and positivity surrounding the program for the 2016 season.
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Minnesota saw head coach Jerry Kill resign due to health issues and Tracy Claeys took over on an interim basis before being named the full-time coach. They clearly missed him as the team was emotionally deflated and lost five of their last six games but due to a lack of bowl-eligible teams, they were able to secure a bowl bid with a losing record.
Central Michigan comes in with all the momentum having won five of their last six games, including the last two of the season to get bowl-eligible. The Chippewas have the nation’s No. 14 passing offense behind quarterback Cooper Rush who has thrown for 3,703 yards and 25 touchdowns this year.
They don’t have much of a rushing game, however, ranking No. 126 out of 128 FBS teams with only 100.3 yards per game. Minnesota only has the No. 101 rushing offense too, so this game could be won by the quarterback who plays the best against the other defense.
- Date: Monday, December 27, 2015
- Time: 4:00 PM ET
- Location: Ford Field, Detroit, MI
- TV Channel: ESPN2
- Live Stream: WatchESPN
- Spread: MN – 6
Prediction
I think we’re going to see an upset in the Quick Lane Bowl with Central Michigan edging the Big Ten team in large part because of the faith I have in Cooper Rush who has put up big numbers on opposing defenses all year. Coupled with the way the Chippewas played down the stretch, they’re simply playing better football than Minnesota.
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The Gophers have a capable quarterback in Mitch Leidner to keep this game close to the end, but I don’t think the Minnesota offense has enough firepower to match the potent CMU passing attack. Neither team can run the ball, but Central Michigan has the No. 30 rush defense in the nation, meaning Leidner will have to throw to win and that’s just what Central Michigan wants.