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 Nubin, and possibly Taylor, to set up better passing opportunities for Kramer. Bowling Green is susceptible on the ground. … All-Big Ten second team WR Daniel Jackson had 37 percent of the U’s targets (101 out of 273). … All-MAC first team CB Jalen Huskey has transferred to Maryland. He had a team-high four interceptions and 52 total tackles. One of top corners in the nation, per PFF, DB DeShawn Jones also exited via the portal,. but CB Jordan Oladokun, one of the top-rated cover guys in the nation, is available to play. … OLB Cashius Howell, team-high 9 1/2 sacks this season, entered the transfer portal Saturday. EDGE: Gophers 

Gophers defense vs. Bowling Green offense: Minnesota will take the field without coordinator Joe Rossi calling the defensive sets for the first time since mid-2018. He took the same job at Michigan State in early December. … Before PJ Fleck hires a full-time replacement, either safeties coach Danny Collins or cornerbacks coach Nick Monroe will handle the call sheet for the U on Tuesday. They will be tested with making in-game adjustments. … The U struggled with run fits and tackling in Big Ten play, and that challenge will remain with stout RB Tyrion Stewart, who rushed for 762 yards, including 596 after contact, this season. Stewart hasn’t played since early November, so his status for the bowl is uncertain. His backup, RB Ta’Ron Keith, entered the transfer portal after rushing for 390 yards. Keith also was Bowling Green’s top pass catcher (44 receptions). … Bowling Green uses two QB, but Conner Bazelak plays more. He completed only 61 percent of his passes, with 11 TDs and seven INTs. … All-Big Ten safety Tyler Nubin is not expected to play in the bowl game as he prepares for what might be a first-round selection in the NFL draft in April. The U can struggle against tight ends over the middle of the field, and TE Harold Fannin Jr. has six TDs this season. But LB Cody Lindenberg’s last-season return should help the U defense out immensely against the run and pass. … The Gophers are annually one of the least-penalized teams in the nation. This season, they are third-best in the yards per game (28.6), while Bowling Green is 116th (63.4). EDGE: Bowling Green 

Special teams: The Gophers’ Dragan Kesich was named Big Ten kicker of the year after making 85 percent of his field goals (22 of 26), with a long of 54 yards, while most of his kickoffs end in touchback. Bowling Green K Alan Anaya has made 71 percent of field goals, and the team’s kickoff specialist Jack Sauder entered the transfer portal. Neither teams’ return game has shown huge-play potential. EDGE: Gophers

Prediction: The Gophers’ season was disappointing, especially the four straight losses in November, and while this bowl is lackluster, it remains a chance to end the season on a positive note. A loss would lead to outsiders pointing and laughing, and U fans ducking for cover. Gophers, 27-21

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