| |
Tar
Heels,
Rutgers
meet in
inaugural
Quick
Lane
Bowl
Dec. 26
at Ford
Field in
Detroit
DETROIT,
MI (Tell
Us Det)
-
- With
the
NFL's
Lions
taking
over
Detroit's
bowl
game,
the city
was able
to
upgrade
its
conference
matchup,
going
from a
top
Mid-American
Conference
team and
an
at-large
berth to
a Big
Ten vs.
ACC
pairing.
Newcomer
Rutgers
is
representing
the Big
Ten in
the
inaugural
Quick
Lane
Bowl on
Friday
against
one of
the
Atlantic
Coast
Conference's
anchor
schools,
North
Carolina.
It's a
series
that
spans
three
centuries:
The
schools
met for
the
first
time in
1894,
several
years
before
the Tar
Heels
had an
official
football
program.
The
Scarlet
Knights
won that
first
game
5-0.
They
played
again in
1919,
then
took an
87-year
hiatus
before
facing
off four
times in
the last
nine
regular
seasons.
This is
their
first
matchup
in a
bowl.
The Tar
Heels
have won
the last
three to
even the
series
3-3.
Rutgers
must try
to find
a way to
stop
North
Carolina
quarterback
Marquise
Williams,
who
threw
for
2,870
yards
and 20
touchdowns
this
season,
while
running
for 737
yards
and 12
more
scores.
"He's a
unique
player
to
defend,
because
he has
the
entire
skill
set of a
tailback,
but he
can also
do a
fine job
throwing
the
ball,"
said
Rutgers
coach
Kyle
Flood.
"He is
definitely
the
focal
point of
that
offense,
so
stopping
him is
how you
stop
them."
For the
Scarlet
Knights,
Gary
Nova is
more of
a
traditional
drop-back
passer,
throwing
for
2,667
yards
and 20
touchdowns.
"We have
to get
pressure
on him,"
North
Carolina
coach
Larry
Fedora
said.
"If we
give
that
young
man
time, he
will
pick us
apart.
He's
very
accurate."
Ford
Field
has
hosted a
post-Christmas
bowl for
most of
its
14-year
existence,
but the
Motor
City
Bowl
(later
the
Little
Caesar's
Bowl)
was run
by an
outside
group
that
merely
rented
the
stadium
for the
game.
Starting
this
year,
the
Lions
are just
the
second
NFL team
to run a
bowl
game,
joining
the
Houston
Texans
(Texas
Bowl).
"This is
an
exciting
new
challenge
for the
Lions,"
said Tom
Lewand,
president
of both
the NFL
franchise
and the
new
bowl.
"We're
very
excited
to put
on a
first-class
bowl for
both of
these
schools
and for
the city
of
Detroit."
Some
things
to know
about
Friday's
Quick
Lane
Bowl at
Ford
Field.
MIXED
FEELINGS:
Nova
needs
310
yards to
pass
Mike
Teel as
the
Scarlet
Knights'
career
leader.
Teel is
the
team's
wide
receivers
coach,
and Nova
joked
that
he's not
sure how
Teel
feels
about
it.
"He's
been a
huge
positive
for me
during
my
career,
because
he's
experienced
all the
same
things
that I
do, so
he's
always
someone
I can
talk to
and even
vent
at,"
Nova
said.
"But I
don't
think he
wants me
to take
his
record
away."
BOWLING
WITH THE
PROS:
Williams
and
North
Carolina
safety
Tim
Scott
got to
spend
part of
their
first
day in
Detroit
with an
NFL
player,
although
they
weren't
exactly
awe-struck.
The pair
had
dinner
and went
bowling
with
Lions
rookie
tight
end Eric
Ebron,
who
played
with
Williams,
Scott
and the
Tar
Heels
through
last
season.
The
Lions
play the
Packers
for the
NFC
North
title
Sunday.
"Football
is a job
for him
now, but
I think
he
wouldn't
mind
sneaking
out
there
and
scoring
a few
more
touchdowns
for us,"
Williams
said.
TEMPO
MATTERS:
One of
the keys
to
Friday's
game
will be
North
Carolina's
ability
to keep
its
offense
moving
at its
favored
up-tempo
pace.
The Tar
Heels
like to
snap the
ball
every
15-20
seconds.
HISTORY
AT FORD
FIELD:
The Tar
Heels
have
played
only
three
games in
the
state of
Michigan
— two in
East
Lansing
and one
in Ann
Arbor —
and the
last was
in 1966.
The
school
has fond
memories
of Ford
Field,
though:
That's
where
the
basketball
team
beat
Michigan
State
for the
2009
national
championship.
BETTER
LUCK
THIS
TIME:
The
Scarlet
Knights,
in
contrast,
visited
the
state
Nov. 22,
when
they
were
blown
out 45-3
by
Michigan
State.
They did
beat
Michigan
in their
first
Big Ten
season,
but that
was at
home.
Read
more
here:
http://www.thestate.com/2014/12/25/3893358/unc-faces-rutgers-in-detroits.html?sp=/99/181/#storylink=cpy
When:
4:30
p.m. EST
on
Friday,
Dec. 26
Where:
Ford
Field in
Detroit,
Mich.
TV: ESPN
PREDICTION:
North
Carolina
41,
Rutgers
31
Tickets:
$35,
$45, $65
and $89.
They are
available
at
quicklanebowl.com,
the Ford
Field
box
office
(open
Monday
through
Friday,
10 a.m.
to 6
p.m.) or
by
calling
877-212-8898.
About
The
Quick
Lane
Bowl
• The
2014
Quick
Lane
Bowl is
a
postseason
collegiate
football
bowl
game
sponsored
by Ford
Motor
Company’s
chain of
Quick
Lane
Tire &
Auto
Centers
that
features
teams
from the
Big Ten
and ACC
conferences.
• Ford
Motor
Company’s
Quick
Lane
Tire &
Auto
Centers
offer
routine
vehicle
maintenance
such as
oil and
filter
changes,
light
repair
services
including
brake
repair,
and tire
replacements
on all
vehicle
makes
and
models.
Customers
can
visit
www.quicklane.com
to learn
more.
• The
inaugural
bowl
game
will
take
place at
Ford
Field
December
26 at
4:30 PM
ET and
will air
nationally
on ESPN.
• This
is a new
bowl
game and
has no
affiliation
with the
Little
Caesars
Bowl or
Motor
City
Bowl.
• The
bowl
game is
one of
five new
college
football
bowl
games in
the
2014-15
bowl
lineup,
alongside
the
Raycom
Camellia
Bowl,
the
Miami
Beach
Bowl,
the Boca
Raton
Bowl and
the
Popeyes
Bahamas
Bowl.
• The
Detroit
Lions
are
committed
to
maintaining
postseason
college
football
in
Detroit
and
keeping
the city
in
consideration
for the
Big Ten
Championship
game,
and
potential
College
Football
Playoff
games.
The team
expects
to
institute
a new
winter
tradition
in
Detroit
similar
to the
Detroit
Bell
Isle
Grand
Prix,
the
city’s
annual
spring
IndyCar
race.
• For
ticket
information
please
visit
fordfield.com
or call
(877)
212-8898.
Accommodations,
Activities
and
Special
Events:
• Both
teams
will
arrive
in
Detroit
December
23 and
stay at
The
Westin
Book
Cadillac
Detroit
(ACC)
and The
Detroit
Marriott
at the
Renaissance
Center
(Big
Ten).
• Punch
Bowl
Social
(ACC)
and
Fishbone's
Rhythm
Kitchen
Café
(Big
Ten)
have
been
named
the
official
restaurants
and bars
for each
team’s
fans.
• A
welcome
reception
at the
historic
Henry
Ford
Museum.
will
include
a
private
tour of
the
museum
highlighted
by the
Pro
Football
Hall of
Fame’s
traveling
exhibit,
Gridiron
Glory:
The Best
of the
Pro
Football
Hall of
Fame.
• Teams
will
also get
to enjoy
a lunch
at
Detroit’s
Historic
American
Coney
Island –
home of
the true
original
Coney
style
hot dog.
• Ice
Skating
in
Campus
Martius
Park
located
in the
heart of
Downtown
Detroit.
• Team
guests
will
experience:
o
Shopping
outing
at
Somerset
Collection,
an
upscale,
luxury,
super-regional
shopping
mall in
Metro
Detroit.
o
Five-part
tour of
the Ford
Rouge
Factory,
including
a
walking
tour
above
the
final
assembly
where
Ford
F-150s
are
produced.
• In the
spirit
of the
holiday
season,
players,
coaches
and
staff
from
both
teams
will
have an
opportunity
to give
back to
the
community
on
Christmas
Eve by
helping
to pack
food for
disadvantaged
families
through
Gleaners
Community
Food
Bank.
•
Additionally,
several
local
PAL
(Police
Athletic
League)
football
teams
will
receive
new
uniforms
(jersey
and
pants)
from
Nike and
a helmet
from
Riddell.
Participating
Coach
and
Player
Gifts:
•
Players
from
each
respective
school
will
receive
a gift
package
at a
value of
$550 to
include:
o
Fathead
custom
graphic
of each
player
with
their
likeness
o Sony
Headphones
o $250
Best Buy
Gift
Card
o Quick
Lane
Bowl
merchandise
o Quick
Lane
Bowl
football
• The
winning
team
will
receive
a custom
trophy
and a
$25,000
locker
room
makeover
compliments
of
Fathead.
• Each
coach
will
receive
luxury
watches
from
Detroit
based
company
Shinola
and a
welcome
basket
featuring
Michigan
products
from
Meijer.
Quick
Lane
Bowl
Social
Media:
•
Website
–
www.quicklanebowl.com
•
Facebook
– Quick
Lane
Bowl
•
Twitter
– @quicklanebowl
•
Instagram
–
Quicklanebowl
|
I
