Bowling Green vs New Mexico State game preview, prediction, and breakdown for the Quick Lane Bowl on Monday, December 26
Bowling Green vs New Mexico State prediction, game preview, odds, how to watch. Quick Lane Bowl, Monday, December 26
Bowling Green vs New Mexico State Quick Lane Bowl Prediction Game Preview
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Bowling Green vs New Mexico State How To Watch
Date: Monday, December 26
Game Time: 2:30 ET
Venue: Ford Field, Detroit, MI
How To Watch: ESPN
Record: Bowling Green (6-6), New Mexico State (6-6)
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Bowling Green vs New Mexico State Quick Lane Bowl 5 Things To Know
Quick Lane Bowl Prediction, What’s Going To Happen, History
– So, you want a bowl game with two teams that are really, really going to care? These two programs came into the season ranked among the lowest teams in college football, no one expected either one to have a shot at a winning season, and bowls are special for them no matter what, especially New Mexico State.
The Aggies got a break from the NCAA because a tragedy at San Jose State forced a cancelation of a midseason game. The played a 12th game anyway to have a Senior Day, rolling Valparaiso 65-3 to get to six wins, even though that made it two of the six wins coming against FCS teams, and … whatever. Head coach Jerry Kill’s team is in a bowl, and it’s rolling offensively.
– This is just the fifth bowl game for the New Mexico State program. It won the Arizona in 2017, but before that the previous bowl appearance was in the 1960 Sun. Bowling Green is 1-5 in its last six bowl games going back to 2004, with the last appearance a blowout loss to Georgia Southern in the 2015 GoDaddy.
– Bowling Green started out the season 1-3 in what seemed like another lost year, and it closed rough losing two of its last three games. In between, though, it went on a nice midseason run, shocked eventual MAC champion Toledo on the road, and now it brings its fun passing game to Detroit.
– The Quick Lane is a reboot of other Detroit bowl games, getting going in 2014 with a mixed bag of games. The 2020 version was canceled, four were ugly blowouts, and three were entertaining. Last year was the first time a Power Five team wasn’t playing in it. This keeps that going.
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Why Bowling Green Will Win The Quick Lane Bowl
The passing game has been fun.
The Falcons might not run all that well, and they offensive line is miserable in pass protection, but Matt McDonald is able to get the offense moving through the air when it gets on a little bit of a roll.
It’s a simple formula. When the offense gets to 247 passing yards it has a shot – it’s 4-2 when it gets there and 2-4 when it doesn’t.
The other side is hit or miss, but the pass rush was as strong as any in the MAC and should be disruptive enough to force a few mistakes. New Mexico State doesn’t have big problems giving the ball away, but the D isn’t great at generating mistakes.
However …
Why New Mexico State Will Win The Quick Lane Bowl
It’s a Jerry Kill team, so in a perfect world it would like to start running and get physical. The program isn’t there yet in its Kill’s first season, but his offense has been crushing it over the last month.
QB Diego Pavia was supposed to be questionable, but he’s expected to give it a go. The offense takes on a different look if he’s able to go. He might not wing it around too much, and he might not be consistent, but he threw seven touchdown passes in his last two games and 11 over the last five – and he can run a little bit, too.
Bowling Green will give up 200 yards through the air. It’s not awful against the run, and it has a great pass rush, but the New Mexico State offensive front is good in pass protection. The quarterbacks get time to take shots down the field, and in the perfect conditions indoors, the O will stretch the field.
Quick Lane Bowl Prediction, What’s Going To Happen, History
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