2021 Quick Lane Bowl Preview: Nevada vs. Western Michigan

The Quick Lane Bowl is not what it was originally set to become. Some changes for one of the two teams have drastically affected how this game is likely to unfold.

Nevada Wolf Pack vs. Western Michigan Broncos
Date: Monday, December 27th, 11:00 AM ET

Location: Ford Field, Detroit, MI

CFB Odds: Western Michigan -6.5

Nevada Wolf Pack

Nevada enters the game with an impressive offense. The Wolf Pack have the nation’s 33rd-ranked overall offense. This team has 5,272 total yards, 48 touchdowns, and an attack that churns out 6.17 yards per play. The Wolfpack, too, can pick up a first down in just one or two plays on average.

However, while the Nevada offense was formidable in the regular season, it will not have its best and most important player for this game. Quarterback Carson Strong, who came up big in 2021 with 4,186 passing yards on 367 completions with 36 touchdowns and only eight interceptions, has declared for the NFL draft and won’t be playing in this game. It makes perfect sense for Strong, who is considered a potential first-round pick because of the need for quarterbacks. That means Nate Cox will be the guy under center and likely the only scholarship quarterback on the roster for Nevada, since Clay Millen announced he was leaving for Colorado State. Following Millen to Colorado State is former coach Jay Norvell, who oddly decided to take a different job within the same conference, the Mountain West. Given that it’s a lateral move, one wonders if it was just a problem within Nevada that caused Norvell to bolt. Either way, we’ll find out just how focused Nevada is with a head coach on the move and Carson Strong not in the lineup.

Western Michigan Broncos

Tim Lester’s Western Michigan Broncos enter the bowl season with a defense giving up 28.6 points per game. That’s 86th in the nation out of 130 FBS teams. While that isn’t great, it doesn’t account for Western Michigan’s blistering offense. That offense is the nation’s 14th-ranked overall offense. Amassing 5,550 yards on offense to go with 48 offensive touchdowns will win a lot of games. At the worst, it will at least keep Western Michigan in the hunt even if its defense continues to struggle.

Nevada’s defense will have to contend with a WMU offense which is creating over 6.2 yards per play. That basically means this team only needs two plays to pick up a first down on average. Quarterback Kaleb Eleby is the general of this offense, the maestro who makes magic for the Broncos. Eleby has 3,115 passing yards, 21 touchdowns, and only five interceptions. He also has five touchdowns on the ground. He is not a fast runner, but he is an effective runner in red-zone situations. He has two tremendously potent weapons in the backfield: La’darius Jefferson and Sean Tyler. The two have combined for 1,840 rushing yards and 19 touchdowns to go with 154 combined receiving yards and two additional scores.

Outlook

Nevada not having Carson Strong is a huge loss. Nevada could withstand a coaching change, but not the absence of its best and most important player. Western Michigan should be able to win under these adjusted circumstances.

Wolf Pack vs. Broncos Prediction:

Broncos 33, Wolf Pack 24