Five players to watch when Central Michigan faces off with Minnesota during the Quick Lane Bowl
Central Michigan junior quarterback Cooper Rush (Central Michigan Life File Photo)
Both Central Michigan and Minnesota's football teams feature several legitimately reliable playmakers.
But who are the game-changers that each squad should put the most stake in?
Here are five players to keep an eye on when the Chippewas (7-5 overall) face off with the Gophers (5-7 overall) at 5 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 28 at Ford Field in Detroit for the Quick Lane Bowl.
1. CMU quarterback Cooper Rush
(Central Michigan Life File Photo)
With a league-worst running game all season, the Chippewa offense needed stability and confidence under center. They found both in Rush, a third-year starter.
The statistics speak for themselves. Rush threw for 3,703 yards this year, the 11th most of any quarterback in the country. He spread the ball around during his junior season. Five CMU pass catchers hauled in more than 500 yards receiving during 2015.
Early in the year, Rush showed his ability to move fluidly outside the pocket and pick up positive yardage with his legs. If CMU's runners can't get anything going against the Gophers, don't be surprised to see Rush making up for the lack of production in the backfield.
CMU needs Rush to play well to win. However throwing seven touchdowns — as he did during the 2014 Popeyes Bahamas Bowl to break a college football bowl game record — probably won't be necessary.
2. Minnesota wide receiver KJ Maye
(Minnesota Athletics Communications)
Maye is the Gophers' most credible big-play threat. What the 5-foot-7 pass catcher lacks in size, he makes up for in speed. Maye had a solid start to the season, catching 48 passes through Minnesota's first eight games — the third-most of any player at his position across the Big Ten during that stretch.
He led the Gophers in receiving touchdowns with four as he accumulated 706 yards during the regular season. Maye's 11 catches against Nebraska on Oct. 17 were a the most by a Gopher since Eric Decker, who went on to have a successful NFL career.
The CMU secondary gave up the least passing yards of any defensive protection unit in the Mid-American Conference this season, so Maye will have his work cut out for him during his final game in a Gopher uniform.
3. CMU defensive lineman Blake Serpa
(CMU Athletics)
With fellow defensive end Joe Ostman out of the lineup with an ankle injury for the majority of the season, Serpa was sturdy on the opposite edge.
Serpa finished his senior season with 35 tackles, nine of which caused a loss of yardage for the opposing offense. His best game of 2015 was at Akron on Halloween, when he had two sacks, two forced fumbles and six tackles as CMU picked up an ugly 14-6 win.
The Minnesota coaching staff has indicated it believes in running the ball early in games, making Serpa's contribution during the first half of the Quick Lane Bowl one of the most crucial factors in CMU's defensive success or failure.
Michigan State was the only opponent that was able to run the ball almost at will on CMU's front seven, so it will be interesting to see how Serpa and the Chippewa defensive line holds up against a lesser Big Ten rushing attack, but on a much bigger stage.
4. Minnesota quarterback Mitch Leidner
(Minnesota Athletic Communications)
Leidner is a prototypical dual-threat college quarterback.
He reads coverage well, can outrun most opposing linebackers and most importantly has experience running Minnesota's offensive schemes.
The junior started all 12 games for the Gophers in 2015, throwing for 2,478 yards and 13 touchdowns. That was in addition to his 251 yards and five touchdowns on the ground.
During Minnesota's most dramatic win of the season — a 23-20 overtime victory over Colorado State during Week 2 — Leidner threw for 233 yards and two touchdowns, including the go-ahead score with less than a minute remaining in regulation.
CMU defensive coordinator Greg Colby will likely need to single out a CMU defender to keep an eye on Leidner in the pocket, which could cause mismatches in coverage down the field.
Leidner will put pressure on CMU's defense in more than one way during the Quick Lane Bowl. How the Chippewas respond to the threat he poses might be the difference between victory and defeat.
5. CMU safety Kavon Frazier
(Central Michigan Life File Photo)
This will be the Grand Rapids native's last college football game. Frazier has shown a flair for the dramatic and relentless aggression during CMU's biggest games this season. He, like the other 13 seniors on the team, will be determined to go out on as high a note as possible.
During his final year in Mount Pleasant, Frazier recorded 35 tackles, nine of which were for a loss and three sacks. He was CMU's most reliable solo tackler and stayed healthy as his teammates on CMU's defense were pulled in and out of the lineup with injuries.
If Leidner or any of Minnesota's backs start to gain space up field, it will likely be Frazier meeting them at the point of contact early and often.
