Thanks for joining us for this 2015 Quick Lane Bowl LIVE. This is Evan Petzold, signing off.
STAT LEADERS:
Central Michigan Chippewas
QB: Rush (15-for-29, 145 YDS, 1 INT)
RB: Ross (19 CAR, 100 YDS, 1 TD)
WR: Willis (4 REC, 51 YDS)
STAT LEADERS:
Minnesota Golden Gophers
QB: Leidner (24-for-30, 223 YDS, 1 TD, 1 INT)
RB: Smith (15 CAR, 74 YDS)
WR: Maye (8 REC, 67 YDS, 1 TD)
FINAL: Minnesota 21, Central Michigan 14
THIS GAME IS OVER! The Minnesota Golden Gophers are the 2015 Quick Lane Bowl championship with a 21-14 victory over the Central Michigan Chippewas.
4th Quarter (0:00) - Cooper Rush scrambles around and is sacked by De'Vondre Campbell for a loss of six yards.
TIMEOUT, Minnesota
4th Quarter (0:04) - Cooper Rush finds Ben McCord for a 26-yard gain. Rush spikes the ball and Central Michigan will have one last shot at this game.
Central Michigan will start the drive at 0:13 in the 4th Quarter
4th Quarter (0:13) - The ball rolls out of bounds at the four-yard line on the punt by Peter Morrell.
4th Quarter (0:21) - Delay of game on the offense. It is now fourth-and-six from the 50 yard line. Minnesota will punt.
4th Quarter (1:08) - On third-and-three, Brooks picks up just two yards. That will bring up a fourth-and-one situation for the Golden Gophers.
4th Quarter (1:48) - Shannon Brooks takes the ball for a four-yard carry. Ricketts on the tackle.
TIMEOUT, Central Michigan
4th Quarter (1:51) - Mitch Leidner with a three-yard gain to bring up second-and-seven for Minnesota.
TIMEOUT, Central Michigan
4th Quarter (1:56) - Shannon Brooks takes the ball for a 10-yard rush and a first down for the Golden Gophers. That was a huge play!
4th Quarter (2:02) - Pass intended for KJ Maye from Mitch Leidner down the middle is incomplete. Third-and-nine coming up for Minnesota.
TIMEOUT, Central Michigan
4th Quarter (2:07) - Brooks runs for a one-yard gain.
Minnesota will start the drive at 2:10 in the 4th Quarter
4th Quarter (2:10) - Cooper Rush drops back and is intercepted by Briean Boddy-Calhoun at the Minnesota 35-yard line. Minnesota leads Central Michigan, 21-14.
INTERCEPTION, Minnesota.
4th Quarter (2:36) - Cooper Rush to Eric Cooper for a gain of three yards to bring up a third-and-seven.
4th Quarter (2:55) - Corey Willis and Cooper Rush are on the wrong page as the pass is incomplete down field.
4th Quarter (3:12) - Romello Ross runs to the left and picks up four yards and a first down for Central Michigan.
4th Quarter (3:42) - Jesse Kroll picks up seven yards on the reception and makes it into Minnesota territory.
4th Quarter (4:16) - Rush to Willis for a 19-yard gain to make it first-and-10 for Central Michigan at the Chippewas 44-yard line.
Here we go! Cooper Rush and Central Michigan are down by a touchdown with less than five minutes to go in the season.
Central Michigan will start the drive at 4:26 in the 4th Quarter
4th Quarter (4:26) - Mitch Leidner with a quarterback keeper from 13 yards out for a touchdown! Minnesota takes a 21-14 lead over Central Michigan after the two-point conversion. The two-point conversion was made as Leidner passed to KJ Maye in the back of the end zone.
TOUCHDOWN, Minnesota
4th Quarter (5:05) - The five-yard gain on the pass from Leidner to Carter will bring up third-and-three for Minnesota.
4th Quarter (5:33) - Shannon Brooks up the gut for a two-yard gain.
4th Quarter (6:21) - Mitch Leidner with the quarterback keeper for a seven-yard gian.
There are 34, 217 people in attendance for the 2015 Quick Lane Bowl.
4th Quarter (6:59) - Seven yard gain for Brandon Lingen on the reception.
4th Quarter (7:39) - Rodney Smith with the carry for no gain because of a great tackle by Ricketts. That will bring up second-and-nine.
4th Quarter (8:15) - Mitch Leidner to KJ Maye for nine yards and a first down for the Gophers.
4th Quarter (8:57) - Up the middle for three yards is Rodney Smith to the Central Michigan 43-yard line.
4th Quarter (9:02) - Perfect defense! Josh Cox breaks up a pass from Leidner to Maye in the end zone to save the Chippewas from giving up a touchdown.
4th Quarter (9:31) - Pass complete from Mitch Leidner to KJ Maye for a first down on the eight-yard connection.
4th Quarter (9:56) - Rodney Smith up the middle for nine yards.
4th Quarter (10:24) - Leidner to to Smith for a five-yard completion and a first down for Minnesota.
4th Quarter (10:53) - KJ Maye brings in a pass from Leidner for a six-yard gain.
Minnesota will start the drive at 11:02 in the 4th Quarter
4th Quarter (11:08) - Romello Ross takes the hand off and turns the play into a 13-yard score for Central Michigan! Brian Eavey's point after is GOOD. The Chippewas lead Minnesota, 14-13.
TOUCHDOWN, Central Michigan!
4th Quarter (11:38) - Ross up the gut for a six-yard gain.
4th Quarter (12:12) - Ross goes for 16 yards to pull the Chippewas inside the red zone.
4th Quarter (12:23) - Rush to Willis for a 21-yard gain to the Minnesota 35-yard line.
Central Michigan will start the drive at 12:58 in the 4th Quarter
4th Quarter (12:58) - Pass complete for Minnesota to Brandon Lingen, but Tony Annese makes a huge tackle to force a turnover on downs.
4th Quarter (13:49) - Leidner to Maye for a four-yard gain for the Golden Gophers to bring up fourth-and-two at the 44-yard line of Central Michigan.
4th Quarter (14:25) - Loss of three yards on the play and Brooks took the carry.
4th Quarter (14:55) - Mitch Leidner gets things started on the right foot with a seven-yard gain on a pass to Drew Wolitarsky.
END OF THIRD QUARTER: Minnesota 13, Central Michigan 7
3rd Quarter (0:11) - Rush's pass intended for Zach Crouch is incomplete. Zach Oakley and the Chippewas will punt on fourth-and-15.
3rd Quarter (0:56) - Cooper Rush completes the pass to Romello Ross, but he falls back five yards on the reception.
3rd Quarter (1:40) - On first-and-1o from the 15-yard line of Central Michigan, the Chippewas can not pick up anything on the run from Romello.
Central Michigan will start the drive at 1:44 in the 3rd Quarter
3rd Quarter (2:14) - Brooks can not gain a yard on third down. That poor carry will bring up fourth-and-one. The punting unit of Minnesota is on the field and will send the ball deep.
3rd Quarter (2:56) - Seven-yard gain for Brooks to make it a third-and-one situation for Minnesota.
3rd Quarter (3:42) - Shannon Brooks on the carry. He picks up two yards before Malik Fountain tears him to the ground.
That play will come back on a holding call against Central Michigan. The ball will be on the 33-yard line of Minnesota and it will be first-and-10.
3rd Quarter (4:04) - HUGE SACK! Mitch Stanitzek pulls down Mitch Leidner for a loss of eight yards on the play.
3rd Quarter (4:35) - Shannon Brooks with the carry to the left side of the field for a gain of three yards.
Minnesota will start the drive at 4:55 in the 3rd Quarter.
3rd Quarter (4:55) - Another incomplete pass forces Brian Eavey to punt the ball away. It goes for a touchback.
3rd Quarter (6:16) - Central Michigan with a complete pass to Corey Willis, but it goes for no gain. That will bring up third-and-1o.
3rd Quarter (6:29) - Rush's pass intended for Josh Kroll falls incomplete down field.
3rd Quarter (7:08) - On third down, Cooper Rush connects with Anthony Rice for an 11-yard gain to the Minnesota 38 and a first down.
Central Michigan will start the drive at 8:30 in the 3rd Quarter
3rd Quarter (8:30) - Ryan Santoso knocks down a 42-yard field goal without any doubt. Minnesota increases their lead to 13-7 over Central Michigan.
FIELD GOAL, Minnesota
3rd Quarter (9:02) - On third down, Leidner picks up just five on the quarterback keeper to bring up fourth-and-11.
3rd Quarter (9:41) - Smith with a three-yard gain to the left.
3rd Quarter (10:32) - Mitch Leidner is SACKED by Stanitzek for a loss of nine yards
3rd Quarter (11:04) - Shannon Brooks for 14 yards and a first down from Central Michigan's 23-yard line.
3rd Quarter (11:32) - HUGE PLAY! Mitch Leidner completes a 40-yard pass to Drew Wolitarsky. Josh Cox made the tackle to save Central Michigan from giving up a touchdown.
3rd Quarter (12:04) - Once again it is Brooks with the carry up the middle for a two-yard gain and a first down for Minnesota.
3rd Quarter (12:41) - On the carry, Brooks snags seven yards as Tony Annese makes the tackle.
3rd Quarter (13:12) - Shannon Brooks gains one-yard on the carry.
Minnesota will start the drive at 13:28 in the 3rd Quarter.
3rd Quarter (13:28) - Copper Rush lines up like he is going to go for it, but instead he punts the ball away himself. Minnesota will take over on their own 12-yard line.
3rd Quarter (13:39) - Cooper Rush passes complete to Corey Willis and that will bring up fourth-and-two.
3rd Quarter (14:12) - Ross picks up eight yards, not on the ground, but through the air for Central Michigan.
3rd Quarter (14:45) - Romello Ross can not even gain a single yards on his carry up the middle.
Central Michigan will start the drive at 15:00 in the 3rd Quarter.
In the first half, Central Michigan picked up 10 first downs, compared to 11 for Minnesota. Minnesota outgained Central Michigan 203-124 with most of the yards coming through the air.
According to CMU Football, Central Michigan has been a second-half team this seaosn, which is very true. It will be intresting to see how the team bounces back on such a large stage like Ford Field against a Big Ten Conference opponent.
CMU has been a second-half team all year.
— CMU Football (@CMU_Football) December 28, 2015
STAT LEADERS:
Minnesota Golden Gophers
QB: Mitch Leidner (12-for-16, 110 YDS, 1 TD)
RB: Rodney Smith (10 CAR, 59 YDS)
WR: KJ Maye (4 REC, 40 YDS)
STAT LEADERS:
Central Michigan Chippewas
QB - Cooper Rush (5-for-14, 55 YDS)
RB - Romello Ross (11 CAR, 60 YDS)
WR - Romello Ross (2 REC, 25 YDS)
END OF FIRST HALF: Minnesota 10, Central Michigan 7
2nd Quarter (0:00) - Central Michigan lets the play clock run down and they will head to the locker room.
2nd Quarter (0:11) - HUGE CARRY! Romello Ross goes for 18 yards to the CMU 34. The play was bumped back 15 yards because of unsportsmanlike like conduct.
2nd Quarter (0:46) - Ross with another carry. He picks up six yards up the middle this time around to the Central Michigan 17-yard line.
2nd Quarter (1:04) - Romello Ross to the left for a gain of five yards.
Central Michigan will start the drive at 1:32 in the 2nd Quarter.
2nd Quarter (1:32) - Louis Palmer down the punt and Central Michigan will take over at their own six-yard line.
2nd Quarter (1:45) - Leidner to Brooks for a gain of four. That will bring out the punting unit on fourth-and-seven.
2nd Quarter (2:15) - Pass complete from Mitch Leidner to Eric Carter for a gain of seven yards. That will bring up third-and-11.
TIMEOUT, Central Michigan
2nd Quarter (2:20) - SACK! Jabari Dean all over Mitch Leidner. Dean brings down the quarterback for a loss of six yards. That was the first sack of the season for Dean.
2nd Quarter (2:58) - First down, Minnesota. Nate Wozniak picks up 11 on a pass from Leidner. The Golden Gophers now at midfield.
2nd Quarter (3:13) - Rodney Smith up the middle for a two-yard gain for Minnesota.
2nd Quarter (3:39) - KJ Maye hauls in a seven-yard catch for a Gopher first down. Mitch Leidner with the pass.
2nd Quarter (4:22) - A quarterback sneak by Leidner goes for two yards to the Minnesota 30-yard line.
2nd Quarter (5:14) - Mitch Leidner starts things off nicely with a two-yard pass to Brandon Lingen, which will bring up second-and-eight.
Minnesota will start the drive at 5:14 in the 2nd Quarter.
2nd Quarter (5:26) - Another incomplete pass. Rush can not find anyone so he throws it away. Intentional grounding is called on the play and it will bring up fourth-and-10 from the 36-yard line of Central Michigan. Zach Oakley to punt the ball away.
2nd Quarter (5:31) - On second-and-10, Rush's pass to Ben McCord is incomplete.
Central Michigan will start the drive at 5:40 in the 2nd Quarter.
2nd Quarter (5:40) - Mitch Leidner drops back and is intercepted by Josh Cox! Central Michigan will take over on offense.
INTERCEPTION, Central Michigan!
2nd Quarter (6:14) - Louis Palmer! Huge tackle on Rodney Smith to force a third-and-nine for Minnesota.
2nd Quarter (6:52) - Smith up the middle for a two-yard gain.
2nd Quarter (7:27) - KJ Maye brings in a nine-yard gain for a first down for Minnesota. Leidner with a beautiful pass.
2nd Quarter (8:01) - Pass complete from Leidner to Wolitarsky for a gain of five on the play.
2nd Quarter (8:44) - Rodney Smith on the carry. He gains one-yard to bring up second-and-nine for the Gophers.
Minnesota will start the drive at 8:48 in the 2nd Quarter.
2nd Quarter (8:48) - Zach Oakley's punt goes out of bounds at the nine-yard line. Minnesota will take over with Leidner and Smith leading the way.
To this point, Rush has tossed 55 yards and Leidner has thrown 67 yards.
TIMEOUT, Minnesota
2nd Quarter (8:56) - Pass from Rush to Ben McCord is incomplete. The CMU punting unit is out on the field for a fourth-and-12.
2nd Quarter (9:39) - On second-and-10, Ross is dropped behind the line of scrimmage for a loss of two yards.
2nd Quarter (10:14) - Another one! Romello Ross gains 11 yards for a first down. With the carry, CMU has crossed into Minnesota territory.
2nd Quarter (10:55) - Ross gains five yards this time and Central Michigan is forced with a third-and-one after the tackle by Yoshoub Timms.
2nd Quarter (11:17) - Romello Ross up the gut for a four-yard gain to the CMU 35-yard line.
2nd Quarter (11:52) - Cooper Rush scrambles out of the pocket and picks up eight yards for the Chippewas. Celestin brings down the quarterback.
2nd Quarter (12:38) - Cooper Rush completes the pass to Jesse Kroll for a three-yard gain. On the next play, Rush's pass to Kroll is incomplete.
Central Michigan will start the drive at 12:38 in the 2nd Quarter.
2nd Quarter (12:43) - Ryan Santoso kicks the ball deep and it is returned by Thomas to the Chippewas 20-yard line.
That scoring drive lasted just over two minutes. It took six plays and 75 yards for the Golden Gophers to find the end zone.
2nd Quarter (12:43) - Mitch Leidner with an 11-yard pass to KJ Maye in the end zone for the Gophers! The kick from Santoso is good and Minnesota leads Central Michigan, 10-7.
TOUCHDOWN, Minnesota!
2nd Quarter (13:12) - Shannon Brooks to the Central Michigan 11-yard line with a beautiful 30-yard carry for Minnesota.
2nd Quarter (13:40) - Brandon Lingen with a 14-yard catch to enter Central Michigan territory.
2nd Quarter (14:45) - Shannon Brooks runs the right for a 19-yard gain to the Minnesota 44-yard line. He has show a ton of athleticism so far in this one!
2nd Quarter (14:50) - Leidner's pass to Drew Wolitarsky is incomplete.
Minnesota starts the drive at 14:55 in the 2nd Quarter.
The CMU scoring drive: 15 plays, 82 yards, six minutes and 29 seconds. It is practically impossible to ask for better ball control.
2nd Quarter (14:55) - On third-and-goal from the one-yard line of Minnesota, Cooper Rush takes a quarterback sneak into the end zone! The extra point by Brian Eavey is good. Central Michigan leads Minnesota, 7-3.
TOUCHDOWN, Central Michigan!
If this was a putt, it would be a gimmie. The Chippewas, however, can not find the end zone just less than a single yard away. They will get their shot right now!
END OF FIRST QUARTER: Minnesota 3, Central Michigan 0
1st Quater (0:00) - CMU is stopped short twice in a row on the one-yard line to bring up third-and-goal from the one.
1st Quarter (1:14) - BOOM! Cooper finds Ben McCord for a 16-yard gain to the one-yard line of Minnesota. Antonio Johnson made the tackle to save a touchdown.
1st Quarter (1:20) - Pass intended for Corey Willis is incomplete. That will bring up third-and-nine for CMU.
1st Quarter (1:52) - Jahray Hayes with a run to the right for one-yard.
1st Quarter (2:22) - Cooper Rush to Corey Willis for an 11-yard gain to bring the Chippewas inside the red zone! Jalen Myrick with the tackle.
1st Quarter (2:53) - Romello Ross with an 11-yard gain to the Minnesota 29-yard line. Calhoun with the tackle for the Gophers.
1st Quarter (3:40) - Copper Rush to Romello Ross for a gain of nine yards to bring up third-and-one. On the next play, Ross picks up two yards for a Central Michigan first down!
1st Quarter (4:12) - Rush throws an incomplete pass to Zach Crouch.
1st Quarter (4:25) - Anthony Rice for a six-yard gain. Then Cooper Rush takes a QB sneak for 11 yards to the CMU 49-yard line.
1st Quarter (5:30) - Cooper Rush to Romello Ross for a gain of 16 yards to the Central Michigan 32-yard line. That Ross kid has some wheels!
1st Quarter (6:21) - Romello Ross with a loss of two on the carry.
Central Michigan starts the drive at 6:24 in the 1st Quarter.
1st Quarter (7:00) - Rodney Smith gains four yards for the Gophers, but it is not enough. Minnesota has Peter Mortell back to punt. The punt goes for 54 yards and Chapman returns it just four yards.
1st Quarter (7:12) - Pass from Leidner to Lingen is incomplete. The Gophers will face third-and-11.
1st Quarter (7:46) - Rodney Smith for one-yard on the ground to the Minnesota 30-yard line.
1st Quarter (8:22) - Complete pass from Leidner to Brandon Lingen for 10 yards brings up a first down for Minnesota.
1st Quarter (8:50) - Leidner with a quarterback sneak for a gain of one-yard for Minnesota.
1st Quarter (9:05) - SO CLOSE! Mitch Leidner has Drew Wolitarsky wide open down field, but he overthrows his wide receiver.
Just a sloppy drive overall from Rush. He will have a ton of time to regroup, but the defense needs to step up here for the Chippewas.
1st Quarter (9:12) - The punt went deep and Minnesota will start with the ball at the 20-yard line. The punt came off the foot of Zach Oakley.
1st Quarter (9:24) - Cooper Rush with back-to-back incomplete passes to bring up fourth-and-seven for the Chippewas.
1st Quarter (10:03) - Romello Ross carries the ball to the right for three yards.
Cooper Rush and the offense will get there first drive of the game.
1st Quarter (10:11) - Ryan Santoso to kick off with Mark Chapman deep. The kick went out of bounds and the ball will be played at the 35-yard line.
The Central Michigan defense was beat badly on a few plays at first, but they regrouped and recovered, which is the most important thing to take away from that drive.
1st Quarter (10:11) - Ryan Santoso with a 22-yard field goal that is GOOD! Minnesota takes a 3-0 lead over Central Michigan.
FIELD GOAL, Minnesota!
1st Quarter (10:40) - Kevon Frazier with a huge tackle for CMU as Shannon Brooks can not convert on third down.
1st Quarter (11:08) - Mitch Leidner with a QB keeper that picks up three yards.
1st Quarter (12:06) - Shannon Brooks can only manage on yard as he is brought down by Cox and Palmer.
1st Quarter (12:36) - Leidner complete pass to KJ Maye for a gain of 13 yards. Minnesota at the CMU 11-yard line.
1st Quarter (13:44) - Smith goes at it again! This time he picks up nine yards. Kevon Frazier made the tackle for the Chips. His next carry results in zero yards.
1st Quarter (14:52) - Rodney Smith with a 37-yard carry to the CMU 38-yard line. What a way to start this thing off! On the next play, he managed a five-yard gain.
1st Quarter (15:00) - Brian Eavey kicks off for CMU and Minnesota will take over on the 25-yard line.
CMU has won the toss and will defer in the second half.
We are just moments away from kickoff at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan between the Central Michigan Chippewas and Minnesota Golden Gophers. The 2015 Quick Lane Bowl will start at 5:00 PM ET.
Herb Deromedi, a CMU legendary coach, was introduces for the coin toss along with former Minnesota coach Jerry Kill. They are the respective captains for each team.
Both teams are on the field! Central Michigan made their way out first, then Minnesota followed.
According to Joe Christensen of the Minnesota Star Tribune, the Gophers will plan to use Demry Croft at quarterback a little bit, but Mitch Leidner will take almost all of the snaps. As for the Chippewas, if Cooper Rush goes down, it will be Ryan Lamb taking over the quarterback duties.
LIVE Updates Central Michigan Chippewas - Minnesota Golden Gophers in NCAA 2015 Quick Lane Bowl
It has just been made known that Martez Walker will not be active today for the Chippewas. The running back duties will be handed to Jahray Hayes and Romello Ross. Walker has carried the ball 106 times for 373 yards, while Hayes had gone for 323 yards and four scores.
Ron Coluzzi, a junior punter for CMU, has left the program and will plan to transfer. Brian Eavey will be doing the punting in this event. Coluzzi has punted for 2,320 yards this season with an average of 39.3 yards per punt. Eavey has not punted this season, but has done the field goal kicking. He has gone 16-for-24 (66.7 percent) with a long of 48 yards this year.
Senior safety Kevon Frazier will wear number 21 to honor Derek Nash in today's Quick Lane Bowl. Frazier leads the team with 103 tackles this season. The roster for CMU has 73 percent of players born in the state of Michigan.
This game is set to kickoff in 30 minutes! Central Michigan vs. Minnesota in the 2015 Quick Lane Bowl will be starting sooner than later. Stay tuned!
Believe it or not, Gophers head coach Tracy Claeys is one-of-eight Division 1 FBS head coaches who did not play college football. The others are: Sonny Dykes (Cal), David Cutcliffe (Duke), Paul Johnson (Georgia Tech), Hugh Freeze (Ole Miss), Chad Morris (SMU), Dennis Franchione (Texas State) and Mike Leach (Washington State).
Quarterback Mitch Liedner will need to stay strong throughout the entire game. To this point in the season, the quarterback has 2,729 yards through the air and 13 passing touchdowns. The Gophers will look to Shannon Brooks, who was nominated as Big Ten Freshman Player of the Week three times this season.
On the defensive side for the Chippewas, Kevon Frazier is a guy to watch. On September 3rd he made 13 total tackles (11 solo) against Oklahoma State. Tony Annese will help out Frazier in the backfield.
It is worth mentioning that Cooper Rush set the single-season record at Central Michigan for most passing yards with 3,703. He will look to add to that total this afternoon.
Just 55 minutes until this game kicks off at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan. Both teams have been going through pre-game warm ups for quite some time now as they look to win the 2015 Quick Lane Bowl.
Since CMU made a bowl game, the Mid-American Conference has tied a conference record with seven bowl teams this season. The Big Ten Conference graduated 10 bowl teams.
The last time Minnesota and Central Michigan squared off was on September 26, 1987. Led by Rickie Foggie, Minnesota won 30-10 over CMU.
The game between Central Michigan and Minnesota will kick off at Ford Field in three hours. The 2015 Quick Lane Bowl between John Bonamego (CMU) and Tracy Claeys (MINN) is sure to be a great game.
"I've lived my life with two principles," Bonamego said before the Chippewas first football game of the regular season. "I don't believe you run away from the truth, and I've never backed down from a challenge. This is just another challenge."
John Bonamego, CMU's head coach, already won a tougher fight than he will encounter this afternoon. Two weeks before his first game as the the coach of the Chippewas, Bonamego completed his final radiation treatment at the Michigan Cancer Center in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It was a huge milestone in his fight against cancer. Bonamego had cancer that started in his tonsil and moved to a lymph node. The graduate of Paw Paw High School never backed down and defeated one of the challenges of cancer.
Live Updates Of 2015 Quick Lane Bowl In NCAA Football
According to most wagering websites, Minnesota has a bit of an edge, but it is super close. As a matter of fact, the Golden Gophers are projected to win by only six points against the Chippewas.
Which conference will be crowned #QuickLaneBowl Champions? The @bigten and @MACSports will battle it out at 5 p.m. pic.twitter.com/mnAXqPfK1d
— Quick Lane Bowl (@quicklanebowl) December 28, 2015
In other big news around the NCAA, Texas Longhorns center Cameron Ridley broke his foot in practice and is out for the remainder of the season. The senior was averaging 12.7 points per game and 10.0 rebounds per game prior to the injury. Texas will battle the Connecticut Huskies on Tuesday, which is the same day Ridley will have foot surgery.
Believe it or not, Claeys served as a student trainer and was later made an unpaid assistant coach for Glen Mason of the University of Kansas. After three years at Kansas, he transferred to Kansas State University and made a salary of $1 as the assistant coach at Clay Center Community High School. Claeys later got his college degree and was hired at Santa Fe High School as a co-defensive coordinator, along with being the math teacher.
As for the head coach of the Golden Gophers, Tracy Claeys, he has coached since 1994 and at the college level since 1995. The 47-year-old has coached on the defensive side of the ball with Saginaw Valley State, Emporia State, Southern Illinois, Northern Illinois and Minnesota. It was in 2015 that the team upgraded his status to interim head coach and then later removed that tag and made him the full time head coach. Before Saginaw Valley State, Claeys coached for Santa Fe Trail High School as the co-defensive coordinator.
In 2013-2014, Bonamego was the special teams coordinator for the Detroit Lions. Since 1988 he has been coach, but this is his first head coaching tenure. Previous experience includes: assistant coach, assistant special teams coach and special teams coordinate. He was an assistant coach for Maine, Lehigh and Army, while coaching special teams for the Jacksonville Jaguars, Green Bay Packers, New Orleans Saints, Miami Dolphins and Detroit Lions. Now, the 52-year-old is in his first ever bowl game with Central Michigan. Since he coached for the Lions, the alum of CMU has a good feel for Ford Field, which is where the Quick Lane Bowl is played.
John Bonamego, who is in his first year as CMU's coach, is the first alum to serve as Central Michigan's head coach since Bill Kelly from 1951-1966. Bonamego is the 28th head coach in Chippewas history.
Central Michigan is in a bowl game for the second straight year, while Minnesota has achieved bowl status for a fourth straight season. The Golden Gophers, however, have not won a postseason game since the 2004 Music City Bowl, which ended in a 20-16 win over the Alabama Crimson Tide. Last season, the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers won 49-48 over the Chippewas in the 2014 Popeyes Bowl.
Along with the Gophers, the Nebraska Cornhuskers and the San Jose State Spartans are the teams to go 5-7 during the regular season and still make a bowl game.
Central Michigan University - Minnesota Golden Gophers NCAA Scores
Martez Walker will carry the load if Rush is not on point during the bowl game. The junior from Oakland Park, Illinois ran the ball 106 times to this point in the season and scored two touchdowns. He ran for 117 yards in the Chippewas season finale against the Eastern Michigan Eagles to put him at 373 yards on the year.
"We're not looking at their record," Jesse Kroll, who caught 59 passes for 856 yards for the Chippewas this season, said of the Gophers. "We want to play the best competition. We wouldn't want it any other way. Any time we get a chance to play a Power Five team, we get pretty excited about that."
LIVE Updates Central Michigan Chippewas - Minnesota Golden Gophers in NCAA 2015 Quick Lane Bowl
"I think it's a big help from a confidence standpoint," first-year coach John Bonamego said. "I think our guys feel like we can play with anybody and they've demonstrated that this year. This is another opportunity to go toe-to-toe with a Power 5 opponent and show that we belong in Division I."
The Chippewas will appear in their second straight bowl game and will attempt for the teams best season since 2009, which they finished 12-2. Central Michigan will face the best competition and do not want it any other way. The Big Ten is one of the Power Five conferences, which makes this a very tough matchup.
Minnesota's defense, however, will counter Rush with Eric Murray and Briean Boddy-Calhoun. The duo are defensive backs on the Golden Gophers roster. Each picked up All-Big Ten honors and made the Big Ten third team.
As for Central Michigan, their squad is led by quarterback Cooper Rush, who completed 3,703 yards and scored 25 touchdowns through the air. Throwing just a tad under 70 percent and averaging eight years per passing attempt, Rush has been a leader on and off the field at the college.
"That's what Coach Claeys has told us in the team meetings, it's a great opportunity to send the seniors out on a high note and something to keep building in the offseason," Leidner said. "That gives us motivation to play hard and work for next season."
Quarterback Mitch Leidner has struggled all season long only completing 58 percent of all passes for 2,478 yards. The 6-foot-4 junior will have to make a crazy showing if Minnesota wants to come out alive in the showcase. The junior will look to build his resume as he has just this final game until entering his senior season.
"I think this group deserves the chance to have the opportunity to finish out the season on a wind with everything we've been through," Claeys said earlier this month. "The seniors, they're the ones who set that attitude in the classroom and it's good to see our kids get rewarded for changing that attitude in the classroom."
Despite falling below a .500 record, the Golden Gophers will play in a bowl game after just 77 teams qualified for 80 spots. Minnesota, as one-of-three teams to finish the season at 5-7 and make a bowl game because of their academic progress rates, will battle the Central Michigan Chippewas. They will do it without Kill and instead with Claeys, who has went 1-4 since taking the head coaching position.
"You're so sad, because there's never going to be another day when you're going to go out to practice and you'll have coach Kill behind you," quarterback Mitch Leidner said the day Kill exited the position.
It was been an up and down season for Minnesota, as they fired coach Jerry Kill on October 28th. The team dropped the interim tag from Tracy Claeys and signed him to a three-year contract on November 11th.
The Golden Gophers are out of the Big Ten Conference, while Chippewas will represent the Mid-American Conference.
Welcome to VAVEL USA's NCAA LIVE coverage of the 2015 Quick Lane Bowl between the Central Michigan Chippewas and Minnesota Golden Gophers. I am Evan Petzold (@EvanPetzold), and I will be providing minute-to-minute updates, commentary, and results of the 2015 Quick Lane Bowl. The game starts at 5:00 PM ET, and there will be coverage pregame, mid-game, and postgame.