Minnesota Highlights

Nice eye! Great block, which has probably been his worst attribute as a back up to this point, so that's nice to see.

To be clear I meant, as a running back, up to this point. Not, as a back up.

Yeah, it seems like every other time we've seen him he's been serviceable but underwhelming (though athletic, sure). Today was a nice little change of pace.

Yes, he looked fairly good today.

I am soooo happy Michigan won this game.

But ... it was against a Minnesota defense.  Not horrible, but not elite.  He threw some passes that would have -- I suspect -- been picked off by better defenses.

That said, I am fairly encouraged by the arm strength, leg mobility, and field presence.  I think with more actual game-time experience and coaching, he could be what Michigan has lacked these last several years -- a true dual threat, both running and passing.

Shane Morris has every bit the cannon of an arm Gardner has.  Perhaps not quite the legs.  But with an improved O-Line the combination of Gardner next year and Morris thereafter ... whoo boy, watch out.

I luv Ryan. He's such a playmaker. It's crazy how many times he makes a play by tackling a guys lower legs/feet. One of the best OLB I've seen at Michigan in 30 years

I wasn't able to watch the game, but I counted about 4 Jake Ryan TFL's in this video.  We may have a future 1st-rounder on our hands, gentlemen (Minnesota caveat in mind).  The play where he baited the running back to bounce outside and then shoved the QB to snatch the RB for a loss was pretty damn impressive.

That deep ball to Gallon might have been the most accurate deep ball I've seen a UM QB throw since Denard's TD to Tay Odoms in the Nebraska game last year. 

My favorite part about Gardner's game today was how fast he tucked it and ran when he didnt see anyone open. I know he didnt do that every time, and it led to a couple sacks, but there were a few times where he tucked it picked up positibe yardage. Thats what Denard needs to do.

I'm not sure it was all of "idiotic." It was a calculated decision with known risks... that turned out to burn us last week. But who knows how some of the other games turn out if we don't have Gardner at WR. I'm not saying he was a world-beater, but he's contributed.

And you can't have your cake and eat it too. Gardner can either focus on being a good WR or a good QB, but I don't think he can do both. So I agreed with the call last week to put Bellomy in when Denard went out.

It's the wild west, we're all wearing sandpaper diapers hopped up on meth.

on the team when we get down a score or two, or start complaining that all is lost. I find that pretty weak.

I just can't see the PR nightmare of pulling Robinson as QB.  Robinson = QB ... find a role for Gardner.  To me, WR seemed apt.  Hence the decision in 2012 to move Gardner to that role.

The mistake -- to the extent there was one -- was not keeping Gardner fresh for backing up QB.  I have no gripes against Bellomy -- I think he can be good -- but it seems to me the coaching staff has recognize the error and shifted back to Gardner as QB backup.

at a Holiday Inn Express last night.  That is the only possible explanation.  I just can't believe that coaching staff knew he had these chops and then relegated him to the receiving corps.  It's almost like they were setting their own team up for failure.

Since I don't believe Hoke and Borges would purposely sabotage the team, I can only conclude DG experienced an epiphany in his sleep.

Of course some (most?) will pooh pooh Gardner's performance as merely occuring against Minnesota.  Fine, but how does that explain his ability to throw strikes when he was under pressure?  How does that explain his ability to keep his head and either throw a strike into the EZ or throw the ball out of bounds, or bring down the ball and run for yardage as the situation dictated?  And last but not least, hitting the deep receiver in stride.  With Gardner it looke like the expected standard rather than an accident of execution.

Denard is our QB. End of discussion. Gardner will have his time.

Martin seemed to be really harping on Gallon for being "inconsistent" yesterday.  I didn't understand what that was about.  Gallon's been pretty productive this year.  I think we just haven't gone to him enough.