Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Michigan‘s Devin Gardner has waited three years for this, and now his chance to be the Wolverines’ starting quarterback has finally come.
Brady Hoke has trusted Denard Robinson to be the starting quarterback since he took over in 2011, but he has to be ecstatic with the idea of Gardner taking over for the best dual-threat quarterback in Michigan Wolverine history.
If there was a quarterback who could take over for such a talented athlete like Robinson, it has to be Gardner. Gardner took over for Robinson at quarterback for the last five games of the season and led them to a 3-2 record, but more importantly, he gave them a chance to win every game.
Just how good will the Wolverines be with Gardner at the helm?
They played inspired football after Robinson went down with an injury and Gardner took over. The Wolverines offense experienced an offensive resurgence, averaging close to 35 points a game while Gardner passed for 1,219 yards and 11 touchdowns in the five games he started at quarterback.
Robinson was a great athlete, but a mediocre quarterback. Hoke realized this a little too late and let Denard basically run his arm right into the ground with his below average completion percentage. He is more of a dual-threat than Garnder is, but that’s not exactly what works in the Big Ten.
Sure, Northwestern, Nebraska and Ohio State have been somewhat successful with running quarterbacks, but the difference between them and Denard was that they were just as good, if not better, at passing.
Gardner was recently granted another year of eligibility because of a medical redshirt, so he will be in Ann Arbor for two more seasons instead of just one. The junior quarterback has shown flashes of brilliance and accounted for 18 touchdowns in the five games he played quarterback.
While many people think that losing Robinson could be a devastating blow to the Wolverines, Gardner will lead them to a better season in 2013.
