The 2019 Quick Lane Bowl will include a team from the ACC as well as the MAC. The Pittsburgh Panthers (7-5) will take on the Eastern Michigan Eagles (6-6). The two teams will try and end their season with a bowl win. Here is a preview of the 2019 Quick Lane Bowl.
Pittsburgh will be going for their eighth win of the season in this game. They played a close 17-10 game against Penn State which they lost. However, they bounced back in their next game by beating a solid UCF team 35-34 to get to 2-2 on the year. They finished their last games at 5-3.
Panthers quarterback Kenny Pickett completed a little over 60 percent of his passes this year on a hefty 430 attempts. He had 51 attempts against Penn State, completing 35 of them. He hasn’t been very mobile this year as ESPN listed him finishing the season with 105 rushing yards. Pitt ranks a reasonable 47th in passing offense in the FBS, and they have the potential to put up yards through the air against the Eagles.
Kenny Pickett (Image courtesy of Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
The Panthers have had multiple rushers this season, Two backs who got more carries include AJ Davis and Vincent Davis. However, they do rank poorly in rushing offense at 121st in the FBS. Washington State and Florida are the only teams in bowl games ranked lower than Pitt in rushing offense. They may not be one of the least talented teams in that field, but their play-style may provide fewer rushing attempts.
Pittsburgh’s defense had a solid season. In total defense, Pitt ranks 11th in the FBS. They allowed just 22.5 points per game, which puts them at 30th in that category. They held half of their opponents to 20 points or less, including Penn State and Miami. A big part of this defenses success has been sacks. They have the second most in the FBS with 49 team sacks recorded this season.
Eastern Michigan will have a shot at ending their season by beating a power 5 team. They would also finish above .500 should they be the victors in this one. The Eagles started the season 2-1, including a big win over Illinois. They got their sixth win against Northern Illinois by beating them 45-17 on the road.
Mike Glass III (Image courtesy of WXYZ)
Quarterback Mike Glass III had a notable year in total yards. The senior ranked 17th in the FBS in total offense for an individual. He had a huge day against Akron by throwing for 246 yards and rushing for 83. Mike Glass has helped this team rank 29 in passing offense this season. Ending his collegiate career with a win could be memorable for him.
Similar to Pitt, Eastern Michigan does not rank highly in rushing offense. They are two spots above the Panthers at 119 in the FBS. Again, this could be because Mike Glass III throws the ball a lot and the team limits how much they run the ball. Shaq Vann leads the team in rushing yards with 667.
Pitt has the statistical advantage on defense. The Eagles rank 92nd in the FBS in total defense. They also allow 30.5 points per game, which is about eight points more than Pitt. However, in a bowl game, the defense can still come up big in this one.
This game has the potential to see a lot of pass attempts. If Mike Glass III holds the ball for too long, Pitt can add to that impressive sack total. If Pitt plays a smart game, that can be a big factor in the outcome.
Final Score Prediction: Pittsburgh Panthers 34 Eastern Michigan Eagles 24
Feature Image Courtesy of quicklane.com.
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