BOWLING GREEN vs. MINNESOTA
What: Quick Lane Bowl
When: 1 p.m. CT, Tuesday
Where: Ford Field
TV: ESPN
Radio: KFAN, 100.3 FM
Weather: Indoors
Betting spread: Minnesota, minus-3.5
Records: Minnesota (5-7) was winless in November but received a bowl berth due its high Academic Progress Rate (APR) and a shortage of six-win teams to fill out the 82 teams in the field. Bowling Green (7-5) has a Power Five Conference win over Georgia Tech, beating the Yellow Jackets 38-27 in September.
History: The Gophers will put their six-game bowl winning streak on the line against a Falcons program that pulled off a shocker against the U in 2021. Minnesota was a 31-point home favorite but lost 14-10. “Whooped us,” head coach P.J. Fleck recalled earlier this month.
Key matchup: Gophers defensive line vs. Bowling Green offensive line. Minnesota’s pass rushers, led by Jah Joyner with 21 total pressures, should be able to get to the quarterback because center Alex Padgett and tackle Alex Wollschlaeger are vulnerable in pass sets.
Who has the edge?
Gophers offense vs. Bowling Green defense: Bowl games in modern-day college football can be more about who’s not playing than who is. That’s true for both teams on Tuesday. … QB Cole Kramer will make his first collegiate start after QB Athan Kaliakmanis entered the transfer portal after the regular season. Kramer, a fifth-year senior, has played in 21 career games. The Eden Prairie native has primarily been a wildcat quarterback, with a paltry 14 career passes. … TE Brevyn Spann-Ford is not expected to play in the bowl game as he gets ready for the NFL draft. … But RB Darius Taylor might return to the field after missing seven of the final eight games with injury. The true freshman led the Big Ten in rushing through September. … The Gophers will look to establish the run with RB Jordan…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/gophers-football-vs-bowling-green-153800844.html
Author : Pioneer Press, St. Paul, Minn.
Publish date : 2023-12-25 15:38:00
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