ALLEN PARK, Mich. — It was the kick-off for the 2018 Quick Lane Bowl. The principals were present at the Detroit Lions Training Facility including Paul Johnson-Georgia Tech Head Coach, P.J. Fleck-Minnesota Head Coach and John Hanighen-Ford Customer Service Division Director.
The Detroit Lions operate the Quick Lane Bowl which will be played on December 26, 2018 at 5:00 P.M. at Ford Field. This is the fifth year for the Quick Lane Bowl and Georgia Tech and Minnesota will be the featured schools.
Georgia Tech (7-5) won six of its final eight games of the regular season and finished in second place in the Atlantic Coast Conference Coastal Division with a 5-3 ACC record. The Quick Lane Bowl will be Johnson’s final game as head coach of the Yellow Jackets. He announced last week that he is stepping down after 11 seasons at Georgia Tech and 22 seasons as a head coach.
Minnesota (6-6) is led by Head Coach P.J. Fleck this season and earned a bowl berth with a win in its season finale at rival Wisconsin. The Gophers beat Wisconsin for the first time since 2003 and for the first time on the road since 1994 to earn the right to play in the postseason.
The Gophers are young and hungry. They have 112 players on the roster and 58 of those players – or 51.7 percent – are freshmen. Freshmen are in starting positions, eight on offence and six on defense.
Coach Johnson said, “Our goal is to win the game…but have some fun.” Georgia Tech features a triple option offense.
Coach Fleck countered with, “It is a reward….get in some extra practices, 12 or 13 times but very short…..60 minutes……a reward and have fun.”
Fleck added, “I recruit (the state) Michigan hard.” He also made a point to thank Kathy Beauregard for taking a chance on him at Western Michigan. Beauregard is the Director of Athletics at WMU and Fleck had success there.
