The 2014 Quick Lane Bowl was a post-season college football bowl game between the Rutgers Scarlet Knights and the North Carolina Tar Heels played on December 26, 2014, at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan. It was the first edition of the Quick Lane Bowl, replacing the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl, and the final game of the 2014 NCAA Division I FBS football season for both teams. For 2014 bowl season the Quick Lane Bowl had contractual tie-ins with the Big Ten Conference and the Atlantic Coast Conference. With the discontinuance of the Little Caesars Bowl, successor to the Motor City Bowl, it was the first time since 1997 that a Mid-American Conference team did not play a post-season game in Detroit.[5] The game was sponsored by Ford Motor Company through its service-center brand Quick Lane.

2014 Quick Lane Bowl
1st Quick Lane Bowl
1234 Total
Rutgers 716710 40
North Carolina 00714 21
DateDecember 26, 2014
Season2014
StadiumFord Field
LocationDetroit, Michigan
MVPRutgers RB Josh Hicks[1]
FavoriteNorth Carolina by 3.5[2]
National anthemJena Irene[3]
RefereeMarc Curles[4] (SEC)
Attendance23,876[4]
United States TV coverage
NetworkESPN
CBS Sports Radio
AnnouncersMark Neely, Ray Bentley, & Niki Noto (ESPN)
Doug Karsch & Jon Jansen (Quick Lane Radio)
Quick Lane Bowl
  2015

Team selection

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This was the seventh overall meeting between these two teams, with the series tied 3–3 coming into the game. The previous time these two teams met was in 2011.[6]

Rutgers Scarlet Knights

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The Rutgers Scarlet Knights posted a 7–5 record (3–5 conference) in their first year competing in the Big Ten after moving over from the American Athletic Conference. As the regular season came to a close Rutgers officials entered into negotiations with several bowls, hoping to secure a post-season berth. Although apparently preferring the TaxSlayer and Music City Bowl, both of which had obligations to accept Big Ten teams, Rutgers accepted when Tom Lewand, president of the Detroit Lions and CEO of the Quick Lane bowl, extended an invitation on December 7, 2014.[7] With the acceptance head coach Kyle Flood became the first in Rutgers history to reach a bowl game in his first three seasons.[6]

North Carolina Tar Heels

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The North Carolina Tar Heels finished the regular season 6–6 (4–4 conference) under third-year head coach Larry Fedora. This is the first time North Carolina will play a bowl game in the state of Michigan.[8] Other possible destinations for UNC were the Independence Bowl, Military Bowl, and the St. Petersburg Bowl.[9]

Game summary

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Scoring summary

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Scoring summary
Quarter Time Drive Team Scoring information Score
Plays Yards TOP RUTG UNC
1 12:43 5 75 2:17 RUTG Andre Patton 34-yard touchdown reception from Gary Nova, Kyle Federico kick good 7 0
2 13:37 7 91 3:42 RUTG Josh Hicks 21-yard touchdown run, Kyle Federico kick good 14 0
2 9:08 5 49 2:26 RUTG Robert Martin 8-yard touchdown run, Kyle Federico kick no good 20 0
2 0:11 10 58 4:44 RUTG 19-yard field goal by Kyle Federico 23 0
3 10:39 12 76 4:21 UNC Marquise Williams 1-yard touchdown run, Thomas Moore kick good 23 7
3 7:33 7 75 3:06 RUTG Andrew Turzilli 34-yard touchdown reception from Gary Nova, Kyle Federico kick good 30 7
4 14:11 6 56 3:09 RUTG Robert Martin 28-yard touchdown run, Kyle Federico kick good 37 7
4 10:04 6 44 2:13 RUTG 31-yard field goal by Kyle Federico 40 7
4 6:45 8 71 3:19 UNC Jack Tabb 7-yard touchdown reception from Marquise Williams, Thomas Moore kick good 40 14
4 4:59 6 54 1:46 UNC Kendrick Singleton 1-yard touchdown reception from Mitchell Trubisky, Thomas Moore kick good 40 21
"TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. 40 21

Source: [4]

Statistics

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Statistics[4] RUTG UNC
First downs 23 27
Plays–yards 62–524 86–482
Rushes–yards 42–340 40–219
Passing yards 184 263
Passing: Comp–Att–Int 9–20–0 32–46–0
Time of possession 29:22 30:38

References

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  1. ^ "Quick Lane Bowl: Rutgers plows North Carolina, 40-21, as Josh Hicks rushes for 202 yards". mlive.com. Associated Press. December 26, 2014. Retrieved December 27, 2014.
  2. ^ "Rutgers Scarlet Knights Team Page". VegasInsider.com. Archived from the original on January 18, 2015. Retrieved January 18, 2015.
  3. ^ National Anthem sung by...
  4. ^ a b c d Stats
  5. ^ Libby, Zach (December 7, 2014). "Rutgers to face North Carolina in first Quick Lane Bowl". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved December 7, 2014.
  6. ^ a b Sargeant, Keith (December 7, 2014). "Rutgers will meet North Carolina in Detroit's inaugural Quick Lane Bowl". NJ Advance Media for NJ.com. Retrieved December 7, 2014.
  7. ^ Sargeant, Keith (December 7, 2014). "The anatomy of Rutgers' berth to the Quick Lane Bowl". NJ Advance Media for NJ.com. Retrieved December 7, 2014.
  8. ^ "Tar Heels In Detroit's Quick Lane Bowl Vs. Rutgers". WFMY-TV. December 7, 2014. Archived from the original on July 7, 2015. Retrieved December 7, 2014.
  9. ^ Pryor, Brooke (December 7, 2014). "UNC will face Rutgers in Detroit". Herald-Sun. Archived from the original on July 6, 2015. Retrieved December 7, 2014.
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