Analysis: Three things CMU football must do in order to defeat Minnesota in the Quick Lane Bowl
Junior quarterback Cooper Rush picks up a first down during the CMU football team's loss to Toledo. (Central Michigan Life File Photo)
Central Michigan opened as a six-point underdog for Quick Lane Bowl at 5 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 28 at Ford Field in Detroit. CMU (7-5 overall) is the only Mid-American Conference school facing a team from a Power Five conference in a bowl game this season.
If the Chippewas are going to pull off an upset, here are three things they must do in order to upset the University of Minnesota (5-7 overall).
1. Pass protect
When allowed time to scan the field and make calculated decisions, junior quarterback Cooper Rush has been as effective as any passer in the MAC this year. CMU did a solid job of keeping Rush upright during the regular season. He was sacked an average of once a game in 2015.
Minnesota leans heavily on blitz packages, leading to man-to-man coverage on the sideline. If CMU can pick up the Gophers' sustained pass rush, the Chippewas should expect Rush to find an open man down the field early in drives.
If offensive coordinator Morris Watts' unit starts to get overwhelmed by the U-M front seven, he'll likely have Rush start drives in the shotgun later in the game.
2. Contain the edge
CMU won the line of scrimmage battle in more than half of its games this year. Senior defensive end Blake Serpa and outside linebacker Nathan Ricketts will be charged with keeping dual-threat Minnesota quarterback Mitch Leidner in the backfield.
Leidner ran for five touchdowns during the regular season and has proven particularly impatient when operating from inside an opponents' red zone.
CMU has two options to deal with Leidner in these scenarios: Either send a heavy blitz and get to the quarterback in a hurry or play a zone defense and hope he stays put.
3. Travel well
This one is more on the CMU fans, but could also have an effect on the outcome of the game. CMU virtually gets a seventh home game this season because of the short drive to Detroit.
Many of the Chippewa seniors will be playing their last college football game in front of family, friends as well as high school coaches and teammates.
If the game is close in the fourth quarter and the CMU defense is looking to get a game-clinching stop, it'll have an edge in the crowd noise department of a game played at a supposedly neutral location.
