Gophers vs. Bowling Green

• Quick Lane Bowl

• Kickoff: 1 p.m. Tuesday

• Where: Ford Field, Detroit

• TV/Radio: ESPN, 100.3-FM

• Line: Gophers by 4

Detroit. On the day after Christmas. In a cavernous indoor stadium. The Gophers (5-7) will make an unprecedented third appearance in the Quick Lane Bowl, facing Bowling Green (7-5). For Gophers fans, the words from songwriters Don Henley, Glenn Frey and Joe Walsh seem appropriate: “Life in the Quick Lane, surely make you lose your mind.”

Three big story lines

What will the Gophers offense look like? With QB Athan Kaliakmanis hightailing it to the transfer portal, the Gophers turn to fifth-year senior and backup Cole Kramer to make his first career start. Kramer has thrown only one pass this season, an interception at North Carolina, but look for him to do more than hand off.

What will the Gophers defense look like? Defensive coordinator Joe Rossi left for Michigan State, so defensive assistants Danny Collins, Winston DeLattiboudere III and Nick Monroe will cobble things together. The time off since the end of the regular season should benefit a Gophers defense that was limited by injuries, particularly at linebacker.

Which team will be hurt more by absences? While Kaliakmanis and RB Zach Evans entered the transfer portal for the Gophers, the possible absences of TE Brevyn Spann-Ford and S Tyler Nubin to prepare for the NFL could be most noticeable. Bowling Green lost RB Ta’ron Keith, their second-leading rusher and pass catcher, and top CB Jalen Huskey to the portal.

Two key matchups

Gophers WRs vs. Bowling Green secondary

Huskey and fellow portal entrant Deshawn Jones Jr. combined for six interceptions this season, so the Falcons secondary could be suspect. Expect Daniel Jackson, Le’Meke Brockington and Corey Crooms Jr. to see plenty of targets to exploit a weakness.

Gophers coach P.J. Fleck vs. Bowling Green coach Scot Loeffler

Quite simply, Loeffler got the best of Fleck in the 2021 meeting, when the Falcons entered Huntington Bank Stadium as 31-point underdogs and left with a 14-10 victory. Given the Gophers’ collapses this season in losses to Northwestern and Illinois and the defensive no-show at Purdue, Fleck can’t afford another such defeat.

One stat that matters

6

Consecutive bowl games won by the Gophers, including the past four under Fleck. They could become the first three-time Quick Lane Bowl champ.

The Gophers will win if … they control the ball with a solid running game — and if Darius Taylor can play, that would be a big addition; they get enough from Kramer in the passing game to keep Bowling Green off balance, and they are healthy enough on defense to limit a solid Falcons offense.

The Falcons will win if … they stay balanced enough on offense to approach their scoring average of 26.3 points per game; their defense can overcome the losses in the secondary, and they take an early lead and hold it, giving the Gophers flashbacks to the 2021 meeting.

Prediction

Bowl games, especially those of the lower-tier variety such as the Quick Lane Bowl, often are decided by which team wants to be there the most. To Fleck’s credit, his teams have shown up not only for a New Year’s Day bowl such as the Outback but also for the Quick Lane in 2018, the Guaranteed Rate in 2021 and the Pinstripe last year. The turmoil and disappointment of a 5-7 season will be a challenge for the Gophers to overcome, but look for them to rally around a popular player like Kramer and put forth a solid effort.

My expectation: Bowling Green has won five of six, so it won’t be a pushover. This one goes overtime.

Gophers 23, Bowling Green 20, OT