Tag: Devin Gardner

Video: Hoke, Gardner, Roundtree – Northwestern Postgame

Michigan vs. Northwestern Awards

Devin Gardner was highly effective throughout Saturday’s victory (image via Bleacher Report)

Let’s see more of this guy on offense . . . no one. Most of the starters are playing fairly well, and the ones who aren’t don’t have much behind them.

Let’s see less of this guy on offense . . . Jerald Robinson.  I know former players keep picking him to break out each year, but he has done very little in his opportunities.  Maybe he’s just one of those guys who’s an all-star in practice but can’t get it done in games.  That happens sometimes.

Let’s see more of this guy on defense . . . Kenny Demens.  Yeah, I know he’s a starter.  He was pulled out of the game for long stretches of the game, though, and Joe Bolden was inserted.  Bolden isn’t ready to play in these Big Ten games.  I like him and I think he’ll be good, but he’s just not there yet.  Demens played almost every snap last year and seemed to do fine, so in these tight games, I’d like to see the senior playing as much as possible.

Let’s see less of this guy on defense . . . Kain Colter.  Yeesh, that guy scared me.

Play of the game . . . Devin Gardner to Roy Roundtree.  That pass at the end of regulation, which was tipped by the defender and caught by Roundtree as he fell to the ground, set up the game-tying field goal by Brendan Gibbons.  It wasn’t the game-winning touchdown by Gardner or the game-sealing tackle by Kenny Demens, but those plays don’t happen without that highlight-reel catch by Roundtree.

MVP of the game . . . Devin Gardner.  I almost picked Roundtree, but Gardner accounted for four touchdowns (two rushing, two passing) and made a ton of huge plays in that game.  He scrambled for first downs, chucked the ball at Fitzgerald Toussaint to prevent a safety, threw the pass to Roundtree, and scored the winning touchdown.  He finished the game 16/29 for 286 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 1 interception; he also rushed 9 times for 47 yards and 2 touchdowns.

Michigan 38, Northwestern 31

Kenny Demens makes the game-clinching tackle (image via AnnArbor.com)

Kenny Demens goes boom.  In Friday’s game preview, I predicted that Demens would have a big game.  It seemed like the coaches were trying to give him a breather by playing Joe Bolden a little bit, but I’m really not sold on Bolden being ready for Big Ten play right now; he’ll be good but he’s not yet.  Back to my point, Demens stepped up in a big way late in the game by making the final two tackles, including a thumping hit on Northwestern superback Tyris Jones to end the game.  Games against a team like Northwestern set up well for someone like Demens, who can take on Northwestern-caliber linemen and still make plays on interior runs.  He did get burned for a touchdown in pass coverage, but he was covering a wide receiver, which was hardly a fair contest.  Demens ended the game with 9 tackles and 2 tackles for loss.

Devin Gardner for Heisman? Okay, not really the Heisman, but Gardner has played really well in Denard Robinson’s stead.  Brady Hoke insists that the offense doesn’t really change when Gardner takes over for Robinson, but nobody who watches these games can actually believe that.  I felt bad for Kain Colter when he got hurt late in the game, but I didn’t feel bad for Northwestern, because Michigan was already down their starting quarterback.  For Gardner to be so inexperienced and still have the ability to come out and beat the #24 team in the country speaks well for him.  And, oh by the way, some guys really stepped up and made plays for Gardner.  The junior QB finished the game 16/29 for 286 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 1 interception, along with 9 rushes for 47 yards and 2 touchdowns.

Roy Roundtree is stepping up. I don’t know why, but Roundtree has stepped up his game now that Gardner is playing quarterback.  Robinson and Roundtree are close friends, so I’m sure it’s not related to a lack of personal chemistry.  It just seems like Roundtree has realized that he needs to step up to help out his inexperienced quarterback.  I wish it had happened earlier, but I’ll take it now.  He had 5 receptions for 139 yards, and his final reception in regulation was a juggling catch he made while the Northwestern defensive back interfered with him. (No interference was called, but it should have been.)

Michigan won the game in the trenches.  Brady Hoke’s philosophy seems to be that he wants to wear teams down, and Michigan will do so more consistently when the offensive line improves.  Right now Michigan’s interior offensive linemen are just average, but by the fourth quarter, they had sufficiently worn down the Wildcats’ interior.  Toussaint started to get some running room . . . which is why I was frustrated with Michigan’s play call on the penultimate regulation drive, after Dennis Norfleet had returned a kickoff to Michigan’s 47-yard line.  Al Borges had overused the play action pass up to that point, because Michigan hadn’t been running the ball.  So when Borges called a post-wheel (for Gallon and Funchess, respectively), Northwestern hadn’t learned to respect the run yet.  He put the game on Gardner’s shoulders, and while Gardner has been playing well, he hadn’t been in a situation this year when Michigan needed  a crunch-time drive from him.  Michigan could have moved the ball by running on the interior with about four minutes left and down by three points.  What happened the next time Michigan had a chance to run it, in overtime?  Fitzgerald Toussaint ran for 5 yards, then 3 yards, and then Gardner ran a bootleg for the game-winning touchdown.

Stop kicking to Venric Mark!  Mark is one of the most explosive players in the Big Ten, but Michigan’s kickers and punters couldn’t seem to help themselves from kicking to him.  He burned Michigan for a 96-yard kickoff return late in the game, but one of the Wildcats held Brandin Hawthorne and got flagged for it.

Northwestern doesn’t throw well except against Michigan. Backup quarterback Trevor Siemian completed 6/7 passes for 87 yards and 2 touchdowns.  Kain Colter was slightly less successful at 8/14 for 96 yards and 1 touchdown.  Michigan struggled with the pace of Northwestern’s offense, and the Wolverines were beaten on the edge several times (partly because of numerous obvious holding calls that weren’t noticed by the referees).  Northwestern could run and pass on Michigan’s defense, and there was no consistent answer until overtime.  That answer was, of course, Kenny Demens.

Jordan Kovacs is now #11.  I don’t really care.  It’s just a number.  Before the game Kovacs was honored by being given the #11 jersey that was previously worn by the three Wistert brothers – Francis, Albert, and Alvin.  I’ve seen the argument that this prevents Kovacs from becoming a legend jersey down the road, but come on, Kovacs isn’t a legend.  He’s a walk-on who turned into a pretty good player, but that doesn’t make him a legend.  I also don’t think Michigan should give Legend jerseys to true freshmen, who still have three years to taint the number with drunk driving arrests, stealing laptops, etc.

Michigan is 7-3.  The team and fans should consider themselves slightly lucky to come out of this weekend with a victory.  Being 7-3 at this juncture isn’t too bad, considering that Michigan has been without its starting quarterback for the last 2.5 games.  Regardless of the opponents, they have scored 35 and 38 points with the backup QB.  The defense has picked up its game at critical junctures, and the offense is doing enough to make games winnable, at least when Russell Bellomy isn’t in the game.  The Wolverines should  beat Iowa, and that would lead up to the ballyhooed game against Ohio State.

Video: Hoke, Lewan, Gardner, Roh press conference – Northwestern week

Michigan vs. Minnesota Awards

Keith Heitzman (image via Bleacher Report)

Let’s see more of this guy on offense . . . Devin Gardner at quarterback.  Of course, I hope that Denard Robinson returns soon from his elbow injury, but Gardner put on a better performance than we likely would have seen from redshirt freshman Russell Bellomy.  Gardner was 12/18 for 234 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 1 interception, and he also ran for 1 touchdown.  He needs to be prepared to play quarterback every week.

Let’s see less of this guy on offense . . . I should say Ricky Barnum or Elliott Mealer, but there doesn’t appear to be anyone better waiting in the wings.  Both of those guys are weaknesses on the front line.

Let’s see more of this guy on defense . . . Keith Heitzman.  Heitzman is already playing a fair amount to give Craig Roh a rest at strongside end, but I continue to be impressed with him.  He’ll have competition for the starting spot next year (from Chris Wormley, perhaps Jibreel Black, etc.), but at worst Heitzman is a solid backup worthy of rotation snaps.

Let’s see less of this guy on defense . . . nobody.  Michigan’s defense is still playing well and only allowed 275 yards to the Gophers.  There are still issues (not enough pass rush, too many pass interference penalties, pass coverage in general), but the guys on the field are the best we have.

Play of the game . . . Devin Gardner’s scramble before finding a wide open Drew Dileo for a 45-yard touchdown pass.  For whatever reason, we rarely see Denard Robinson make this same type of play.  When Robinson pulls the ball down, he’s typically looking to run and not to pass.  This type of play has also caused trouble for Gardner in the past, because he’s taken big sacks.  But in this case, it worked and it was spectacular.

MVP of the game . . . Devin Gardner.  Minnesota actually had a chance in this game, and they were probably licking their chops a little bit when they found out that Denard Robinson wasn’t starting the game.  But Gardner had a stellar game at quarterback for a guy who had been playing wide receiver the entire year. This gives me some hope for the future of the quarterback position in 2013.