Devin Gardner Appreciation Thread

Submitted by alum96 on

It is funny how winning solves all (most).  Having a great 2015 defense and an improved OL in pass protect makes every QB look better.

To that end I saw a comment in the last thread about how QB is not a tire fire as it was last year.  Oh?

(if the last column is not shown on your mobile device it is INTs = 6 each)

  Comp Att % Yds YPA TD INT
Gardner 72 114 63.2% 872 7.6 5 6
Rudock 89 148 60.1% 956 6.5 5 6

Above are Rudock's first 5 games vs Gardner's 5 starts of 14 (I excluded Minn for obvious reasons).  Quality of opponents is similar (2014 ND = 2015 Utah, 2014 Utah = 2015 BYU, baby seals, bad Big 10 teams etc)  Devin had a much worse offensive coaching staff top to bottom.  And no QB guru.  And Devin had nowhere near the time Jake enjoys on almost every play.  You can say he had a better primary WR I guess... who he rarely had time to find. (who was hurt post ND)

Takeaway: Even PTSD Devin with this OL protection would have been interesting.  (non PTSD Devin? Damn...)  Statsistically Devn was better or a wash last year at this point in every line item other than total yards... with a lot worse pass protect .  Here is hoping Rudock pulls away in the 2nd half of the year.

 

Game logs

  Comp Att % Yds YPA TD INT
App St 13 14 92.9% 173 12.4 3 0
ND 19 32 59.4% 189 5.9 0 3
Miami OH 13 20 65.0% 184 9.2 2 2
Utah 14 26 53.8% 148 5.7 0 0
Rutgers 13 22 59.1% 178 8.1 0 1
Gardner 72 114 63.2% 872 7.6 5 6
               
               
  Comp Att % Yds YPA TD INT
Utah 27 43 62.8% 279 6.5 2 3
OSU 18 26 69.2% 180 6.9 0 1
UNLV 14 22 63.6% 123 5.6 1 1
BYU 14 25 56.0% 194 7.8 1 0
Maryland 16 32 50.0% 180 5.6 1 1
Rudock 89 148 60.1% 956 6.5 5 6

 

 

 

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MaximusBlue

October 6th, 2015 at 3:27 PM ^

People would be surprised if they looked at career statistical numbers that not only Denard, but DG put up under the circumstances they played in. 

I hate the pot shots people take saying our QB play is so much better than it was the past several years. Wish DG had one more to do it with Harbaugh and go out on a higher note. 

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jatlasb

October 6th, 2015 at 4:19 PM ^

Agreed.  DG will always have an air of "what could have been." I can only imagine how he would have played with a proper coach.

Can anybody think of another example where such a stellar talent went to such waste?

Still, Robinson will always be my favorite QB at Michigan.  Guy stuck around and gave us basically the only good things about the past decade.  

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SirVigorous

October 6th, 2015 at 3:28 PM ^

Problem is that rudock is playing badly. There is still a mild tire fire at the quarterback position. The fact that their stats are similar shows that we still have a problem.

These stats quantify why I feel Rudock is bad.

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UMForLife

October 6th, 2015 at 3:30 PM ^

Sorry Alum96. One comment does not mean we need to bash Rudock by comparing him to Devin. Devin was a great team player and he was dealt a raw hand. But, it does not mean we need to compare him to Rudock and explain why Rudock is not good. If I didn't get your post, I apologize. But I hate it when we bash one player by comparing to another M player.

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alum96

October 6th, 2015 at 3:48 PM ^

I dont think I am bashing Rudock as much as I am pointing out that the QB play is essentially unchanged.  It "feels" less helter skelter I guess but if you look at downfield throws over 8 yds Rudock has been impotent almost every game.  BYU 1st half an exception.  I don't care about the long throws of 20+ yds - its the 9 thru 14 yd throws that have been very disappointing.  Devin completed some of those.  While throwing the same INTs Rudock does.  They have diff strengths and weaknesses but have created identical production (at best); I'd argue Devin was more efficient statistically in fact.

The run games of the 2 years have thus far also been identical.

The variance year over year is all in the defense.  It's gone from Big 10 solid to nationally elite (thus far).

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The Maizer

October 6th, 2015 at 3:35 PM ^

I love DG, but I think you're abusing these stats. If you take out the App State game (in which he found Funchess many times), his numbers in the other four games are not good. Jake has not had any truly good games, but DG had some significantly worse games (ND, Utah).

That said, I think DG would have done much better under this staff with this improved OL.

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Blue Mike

October 6th, 2015 at 3:59 PM ^

And if you take any quarterback's best game out of the comparison they look worse.  Why do we need to take App State out of the comparison?  According to FEI, last year App State was #111.  Guess who was 2 spots behind them at #113?  UNLV.  S&P+ had them at #113 and #118 respectively.

Shouldn't we criticize Rudock more than Gardner because he doesn't have any good games, and he's played 3 bad teams already?  At least Gardner put up numbers against the bad teams.

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The Maizer

October 6th, 2015 at 4:07 PM ^

Fair point. It depends on what you value, however, high ceiling or high floor. What so many fans were excited about with regard to Rudock was his allegedly high floor, so from that perspective, comparing their worst performances gives more insight.

You've half convinced me though, it is just as concerning that Rudock has struggled against bad teams where even with last year's problems, DG did not (well, Rutgers..).

Neither of their numbers through the first five starts of the last two seasons are particularly good, and I think the reasons are very different.

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Procumbo

October 6th, 2015 at 3:46 PM ^

I've always had a lot of respect for Devin. With his talent he had a legitimate shot to be one of the top players in college football and an early pick as a QB. Who knows what could have been, there are a lot of things that can go wrong along that road, but the program never game him a fair shake. With chaotic management, poor coaching, and a porous OL he never had a chance. But he gutted it out, always played hard, and never complained. Always a classy representative of the university.

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Avon Barksdale

October 6th, 2015 at 3:58 PM ^

But he was in his third season starting for Michigan. Rudock is in his second month. Also, Utah is one of the best teams in the country. They are much better than 2014 7-5 Notre Dame.

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Reader71

October 6th, 2015 at 7:04 PM ^

And I still think all of that mattered less than the guys blocking in front of him. The switch to WR didn't seem to affect him at all when he took over the position midway through the year. Scheme didn't seem so bad either. But when the floodgates were opened the next year, it all went to hell. Like it would have done to all QBs.

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StephenRKass

October 6th, 2015 at 4:10 PM ^

I loved Gardner, and Denard. It would be fascinating to know what would have been the case if they had been under Harbaugh and Drevno, with the current OL. Alas, that ship has sailed, the page has turned, and we move on. Yes, I appreciate Devin Gardner. Yes, he undoubtedly would have done much better this year than last. But that wasn't the hand he was dealt. As said above, I'm glad for the grace shown by both Gardner and Denard in difficult circumstances.

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Champeen

October 6th, 2015 at 4:18 PM ^

Just chalk up people who think Gardner sucked, as people who know jack shit about football.  Without Gardner (and Denard before him) how many games does Michigan football win?

Even taking Gardners WORST year, he is throwing almost identical to Rudock is WITH BETTER COACHING and better support cast.  Add Gardners legs into the equation and ... well you get the picture.

I had to listen to a coworker hammer Gardner 3 years straight.  Irritating as hell.  Of course he also thought Dan Marino and Barry Sanders sucked because they were not good enough to win a super bowl.

THE TEAM, THE TEAM, THE TEAM.  Some people just do not get it.

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You Only Live Twice

October 6th, 2015 at 10:56 PM ^

He was a 5 star dual threat QB.  What happened after that, does not change how the picture was then.  

A co-worker, heavily ND and then a Sparty fan after that... we still managed to be friends.. anyway he called me at home one day and announced that we were getting "the best QB in the country."   This coworker grew up in the same area and attended the same high school.  He could not have been more sincere.  I'll never forget the gravity in his tone, because, a Michigan fan he was not.

Devin Gardner gave every indication of being a brainy, versatile QB who should have been able to fully realize the rewards of dedicating so much effort in high school to get into Michigan and play for Michigan.  Adults failed him.  He didn't give up.   His passion and his heart carried him after his physical body was injured.

Was his football career what it could have been, no, and he bears no blame for that.  Will he still have a good life, of that I have no doubt.

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Sllepy81

October 6th, 2015 at 4:30 PM ^

Devin and blame the coaches for not making things better around him. He had issues but he had to running game and a forever changing offensive playbook each year just about.

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Perkis-Size Me

October 6th, 2015 at 4:44 PM ^

Gardner had his flaws in terms of his game, but he was the definition of a team player. Did what the coaches asked him to do, changed positions twice and never once complained. Took an absolute beating from the likes of MSU and just got back up and kept on playing.

Kid got dealt a bad hand in terms of what the coaches were able to do for him, and I wish we could've seen what Harbaugh would've been able to do with him. But alas, 'twas not meant to be.

I'll always remember that 2013 OSU game. He was a man amongst boys that day, and had that game managed to swing the other way, it would've gone down as quite possibly the greatest performance by a Michigan QB in the history of the program.



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Hotroute06

October 6th, 2015 at 5:21 PM ^

Devin Gardner.  Good person,  team player.  Horrible quarterback.  

 

He cant even make an NFL practice squad.  He simply wasnt very good.  There was a number of games the offensive line was blocking good and he was throwing the ball all over the place.  Go watch the 2013 Iowa and Northwestern games.  

 

Edit.  Thats my last Devin Gardner was a bad quarterback regardless of coaching and terrible offensive line post.   

 

Harbaugh.  

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Newton Gimmick

October 6th, 2015 at 5:48 PM ^

taking over for Denard at the end of 2012.

That is, before Hoke & Borges poisoned him with their "coaching."  

You could still see when he was just playing on instincts, like the OSU game in 2013, that he could be brilliant -- as gifted a QB as we've ever had.

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umchicago

October 6th, 2015 at 5:18 PM ^

are there a lot of people really saying that rudock is better than gardner?  i'm not hearing much of that, though i am really hoping for an upward learning curve from rudock going forward.  we have rudock because we were terrified of the alternative going into this year.

gardner would have been very successful under a harbaugh coach.  too bad he didn't have a year of eligibility to prove it.

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Year of Revenge II

October 6th, 2015 at 7:56 PM ^

I definitely feel Rudock's decision-making is very much further ahead of Devin's, whose ceiling would have been much higher with the present staff. I don't think the statistical comparison is of much value, Devin definitely had more talent and more potential, I will always have great memories of him for his attitude and team play.

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shawnducati

October 6th, 2015 at 5:32 PM ^

he regressed due to horrible coaching at michigan. this staff is SOOOO much better and putting players in positions to succeed and getting the most of them.

 

very sad.

 

all the best to devin. a good guy!

 

 

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Newton Gimmick

October 6th, 2015 at 5:46 PM ^

Devin Gardner, in a certain way, is my ATF Michigan football player.  The guy seemed to love the university and kept his head held high through some horrific circumstances.  When he was bad he was awful, but when he was good he was Vince Young combined with Cam Newton (only slight hyperbole).  I loved watching him play 'playground' style -- he would have thrived in a RichRod offense.  Instead they tried to turn him into a mechanical stiff who had to overthink every pass into tiny windows, which wasn't his game at all.

Dude left his intestines on the field vs. MSU and OSU and ND while Hoke and Borges were too clueless to appreciate it.  By the end he was either too cauliflower-eared or too PTSD to run like he once did, but he still showed a lot of joy and sportsmanship playing the game. I hope the future holds nothing but great things (and a little more luck) for him.

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aratman

October 6th, 2015 at 5:50 PM ^

Devin was OK, may be better than Rudock but he didn't win.  Coaching blah blah, WIN.  One can only be judged on ones results.  Stats being equal makes you wonder if Devin was also on the turn and hand off cruise control in the second half of 4 of those games.

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