This will be the ninth edition of the Quick Lane Bowl. Quick Lane Tire and Auto Center has been the title sponsor of the bowl game at Ford Field since the inaugural game in 2014. The Detroit Lions own, host, and operate this game. It is the second post-season game at Ford Field, as they are also the home of the MAC Conference Championship since 2004. Bowling Green will take on Minnesota this year. It will be Bowling Green's second appearance in the Quick Lane Bowl and Minnesota's third.
When and where is the Quick Lane Bowl?
The Quick Lane Bowl is at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan. The game between Bowling Green and Minnesota will start at 2:00 PM ET on Tuesday, Dec. 26.
How to watch Bowling Green vs. Minnesota
You can watch the Gasparilla Bowl on ESPN, and it will be available via live stream with fuboTV.
Date: Tuesday, December 26th | Time: 2:00 PM ET
Location: Ford Field — Detroit, Michigan
TV channel: ESPN | Live stream: fuboTV (click for a free trial)
Odds: Minnesota -4.5 | O/U 39.5
Bowling Green storylines
Bowling Green finished the season 7-5, posting their first winning record since the 2015 season. It's Bowling Green's second-straight appearance in the Quick Lane Bowl, losing to New Mexico State in last season's iteration. They join Minnesota as the only other school with multiple appearances. Bowling Green's defense is worth watching in this matchup, as they lead the nation in takeaways with 27. Despite a third-place finish in the MAC East, Bowling Green led the MAC with ten players on the All-Conference team. Only two players made the first-team, with tight end Harold Fannin Jr. and cornerback Jalen Huskey getting the honors.
Bowling Green is looking for their first bowl victory since 2014 when they won the Camellia Bowl. They have lost two bowl games since. Bowling Green will almost field a fully healthy roster, which is rare in the transfer portal era. They are led by Connor Bazelak at quarterback, who passed for 1,709 yards, 11 touchdowns, and seven interceptions this season. Terion Stewart is a strength in the running game, rushing for 762 yards and eight touchdowns.
The Quick Lane Bowl is important for Bowling Green, as it allows them to play in front of their recruiting pipeline in Michigan. When given the opportunity, head coach Scot Loeffler jumped at the chance to make the 90-minute trip from their campus to Ford Field.
Minnesota Storylines
Minnesota snuck into a bowl game due to a lack of bowl-eligible teams being eligible at 6-6. They finished the season at 5-7, but their recent bowl success shows they are worthy of a chance to continue their run this year. Minnesota was given a bowl invite due to the team's outstanding academic marks. The marks put them at the front of the line among the five-win teams. This will be the fifth bowl game for Minnesota under head coach PJ Fleck. The Gophers are 4-0 in the previous games. They have won the 2022 Pinstripe Bowl, 2021 Guaranteed Rate Bowl, 2020 Outback Bowl, and 2018 Quick Lane Bowl.
Minnesota will have Cole Kramer at quarterback for the first time this season. Athan Kaliakmanis started every game this season but entered the transfer portal. It's a nice story for Kramer, a senior who thought his college career was over after going 5-7. Now, he gets to be the starting quarterback for one more game.
Quick Lane Bowl history
Minnesota is a two-time winner of the Quick Lane Bowl. They won 21-14 against Central Michigan in 2015 and 34-10 against Georgia Tech in 2018.
The first Quick Lane Bowl was in 2014 when Rutgers defeated North Carolina 40-21. The ACC and Big Ten are tied with three wins each, with Minnesota (2x) and Rutgers winning it for the Big Ten and Boston College, Duke, and Pittsburgh winning it for the ACC.
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