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Minnesota vs. Central Michigan Quick Lane Bowl recap, score and key stats for the Golden Gophers and Chippewas.

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Quick Lane Bowl Recap

Score: Minnesota 21, Central Michigan 14

Prediction: Minnesota 31, Central Michigan 21, Line: Minnesota -6, o/u: 56.5

And You Care Because … Mitch Leidner ran for a 13-yard touchdown with under five minutes to play, and converted the two-point conversion on a throw to KJ Maye, to give Minnesota a 21-14 lead, and the defense held on from there. The Gopher secondary held the high-powered CMU passing game to 145 yards and just 249 total, but the CMU running game worked with QB Cooper Rush running for a one-yard score and Romello Ross barreling his way for a 13-yard score on the way to a 14-13 lead, but the Gophers answered with a 74-yard drive taking close to seven minutes for the game-winning score.

What Else?

– Minnesota QB Mitch Leidner completed 24-of-30 passes for 223 yards and a score with a pick, and ran nine times for 19 yards and a score.

– Central Michigan QB Cooper Rush completed 15-of-29 passes for 145 yards with a pick, and ran for a score.

– Minnesota RB Rodney Smith ran 15 times for 74 yards, and Shannon Brooks ran 15 times for 65 yards

– Central Michigan RB Romello Ross ran 19 times for 100 yards and a score.

– Minnesota P Peter Mortell averaged 46 yards per punt putting all four of his kicks inside the 20

– It’s the 25th straight game Minnesota hasn’t allowed a 300-yard passer.

Game Rating: B. It wasn’t scintillating, but the Minnesota defense did a great job against Cooper Rush, and Mitch Leidner came up with a strong overall performance. Call it the first big win of Tracy Claeys new coaching career for the Gophers.