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Minnesota vs. Georgia Tech: Quick Lane Bowl preview and predictions

Nick Bromberg
College football and motorsports writer

Minnesota (6-6) vs. Georgia Tech (7-5)

Location: Detroit | When: Dec. 26 (5:15 p.m. ET) | TV: ESPN | Line: Georgia Tech -6

HOW THESE TEAMS GOT HERE

Minnesota: The Gophers needed a last-weekend win over Wisconsin to make it to a bowl game. After losses to Northwestern and Illinois (?!) in the previous three weeks, the odds of that happening in Madison were pretty slim. But Minnesota dominated the Badgers 37-15 to get back Paul Bunyan’s Axe for the first time since 2003. Before that, Minnesota started the season at 3-0 but lost four-straight games before getting back to .500 at 4-4 with a win over Indiana.

TaQuon Marshall (R) has scored 11 rushing touchdowns in 2018. (AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley, File)
TaQuon Marshall (R) has scored 11 rushing touchdowns in 2018. (AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley, File)

Georgia Tech: The Yellow Jackets started the season at 3-4 before reeling off four-straight wins. They came against Virginia Tech, North Carolina, Miami and Virginia. Only UNC is not heading to a bowl. That put Georgia Tech at 7-4 heading into the annual rivalry game against Georgia but that was a disaster in a 45-21 loss.

WHY YOU SHOULD WATCH

Are we at the end of an option era? The Quick Lane Bowl is the final game for Paul Johnson as Georgia Tech’s coach. The Yellow Jackets are the only team outside of Army, Navy and Air Force that run a flexbone triple-option system. Without Georgia Tech running the offense in 2019 under new coach Geoff Collins or another college football team surprisingly implementing the offense, it will be limited to service academies only next season.

Tyler Johnson (6) celebrates with Paul Bunyan’s Axe after Minnesota beat the Wisconsin Badgers 37-15 to get bowl eligible.(Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
Tyler Johnson (6) celebrates with Paul Bunyan’s Axe after Minnesota beat the Wisconsin Badgers 37-15 to get bowl eligible.(Dylan Buell/Getty Images)

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Tyler Johnson, WR, Minnesota: The junior has been one of the best receivers in the country in 2018. Johnson has 74 catches for 1,112 yards and 10 touchdowns. He’s been remarkably consistent too. He’s had over 50 yards in 10 of Minnesota’s 12 games and has produced at least 68 yards receiving in every game since a two-catch, 12-yard performance against Maryland on Sept. 22.

TaQuon Marshall, QB, Georgia Tech: Marshall hasn’t been as good in 2018 as he was in 2017. But he’s still Georgia Tech’s leading rusher and has been a key piece of the team’s last three wins. Marshall has rushed for 897 yards and 11 touchdowns and is 44-of-100 passing for 824 yards with five touchdowns and four interceptions.

WHAT’S ON THE LINE

Minnesota: A bowl win would be the first for P.J. Fleck as the team’s head coach and his first since a 2015 Bahamas Bowl win. It would also give Minnesota its fourth winning season in the past six years.

Georgia Tech: Sending Johnson out with a win. Johnson has been a head coach at the FBS level for 17 seasons. The last 11 have been at Georgia Tech, where he’s won 11 games twice. Overall, his record is 128-88 and he’d end his career one win shy of 130 if GT wins on Wednesday.

PREDICTIONS

Nick Bromberg: Georgia Tech 27, Minnesota 20
Sam Cooper: Georgia Tech 31, Minnesota 24
Pat Forde: Georgia Tech 41, Minnesota 28

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Nick Bromberg is a writer for Yahoo Sports.

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