In the ninth annual Quick Lane Bowl, both the Minnesota Golden Gophers and Bowling Green Falcons should know Ford Field in Detroit well.
The Dec. 26 bowl matchup, announced on Sunday afternoon, will see Minnesota take on Bowling Green. Both schools have made previous appearances in this bowl. The game is scheduled to start at 2 p.m. the day after Christmas, and ESPN will televise it.
Bowling Green, led by coach Scot Loeffler, who was formerly a Lions assistant, had a 7-5 record in the MAC this season. The Falcons suffered a 24-19 loss to New Mexico State in last season’s Quick Lane Bowl.
LAST YEAR’S BOWL: New Mexico State holds off Bowling Green, 24-19
The Golden Gophers are returning to Ford Field for the third time, and it’s their second appearance under head coach P.J. Fleck. The last time they were here was in 2018, when Minnesota defeated Georgia Tech with a score of 34-10. The Golden Gophers also grabbed a 21-14 victory against Central Michigan in 2015.
The bowl also presents an opportunity for the Gophers to avenge a recent loss, as Bowling Green claimed a 14-10 win over Fleck’s squad on Sept. 25, 2021, in Minneapolis.
Bowling Green struggled in its sole game against a Big Ten team this season, managing to keep Michigan to seven points in the first half, but scored only six themselves due to quarterback injuries. Connor Bazelak concluded the season with 1,709 yards; Olympic Games 61.2% finishing and a season total of 11 touchdowns and seven interceptions. After the loss to the Wolverines, BGSU went 6-3 with an upset win against Power Five school Georgia Tech to end September.
On the other hand, Minnesota suffered a crushing 52-10 loss to Michigan on October 7 in Minneapolis. In that game, Athan Kaliakmanis, in his first year as the starting quarterback, completed just five passes out of 15 attempts for 52 yards and one touchdown, yet he threw two interceptions. Kaliakmanis announced his intention to transfer this week, which means the Gophers will be without him. Cole Kramer is the only other Gopher who threw a pass this season, but he is 8-for-13 in his four previous seasons with the team. Kramer also played in the 2021 loss to Bowling Green but didn’t attempt a pass.
Darius Taylor, a star freshman from Walled Lake Western, played in just five games this season, carrying the ball 103 times for 591 yards. By the end of the regular season, the fourth-string back, Jordan Nubin, emerged as the main ball carrier. Nubin heads into the Quick Lane Bowl with 124 carries this season.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: 2023 Quick Lane Bowl pairs Bowling Green, Minnesota
Alex Martin is your guide to the global phenomenon of football. With a focus on international leagues and tournaments, he provides match commentary, player interviews, and behind-the-scenes stories from the world of football.
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