Devin Gardner Appreciation Thread
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 |
October 6th, 2015 at 6:03 PM ^
With no game plan, adjustments or protection...WTF was he supposed to do?
October 6th, 2015 at 6:35 PM ^
Devin Gardner had immense physical talent.
He was flat-out ruined by the coaching and available blocking.
Some of that is on him, but we saw what he was capable of. Anything below that and its primarily a coaching failure.
However, we watched him grow into a Michigan graduate we can be proud of. Even OSU fans now respect him.
Lastly, say what you want, but he was a flat-out warrior against OSU.
October 6th, 2015 at 6:16 PM ^
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October 6th, 2015 at 6:42 PM ^
October 6th, 2015 at 7:07 PM ^
October 6th, 2015 at 7:09 PM ^
October 6th, 2015 at 7:17 PM ^
While my friends consider me a "Gardner Basher," I honestly believe that while a great representative of U of M, and an extremely talented athlete, Gardner was just not a great QB. He said the right things, proved his dedication by moving to WR, and stuck through several coaching changes. However, in the end, it just didn't show up on the field.
Sure he had flashes of brilliance (OSU 2013, Minnesota 2012), and sure you can blame coaching, a poor OL, or a variety of other excuses, but in the end, he never looked comfortable in the pocket, his mechanics were uncoachable, and most importantly, his vision of the field just wasn't there. You can't teach football IQ, and that unfortunately was the biggest factor holding him back from success.
Despite all this, my biggest issue with Gardner came in the infamous 2014 Minnesota game, when Shane got the start over him. While watching the game, not ONCE did I see Gardner trying to coach up or motivate Shane. He usually was on the opposite end of the sideline, wanting nothing to do with him. Blame whoever you want for Shane playing that day (who knows if he really deserved it), but honestly, Gardner needed to step up and show his support. He was the captain of the team, he needed to be the bigger person, regardless of what led up to him being on the bench that day.
Overall, I find it somewhat hypocritical that so many mGoBloggers, and even Brian, put out such undying praise for Gardner, while condemning the entire Hoke era. In the end, they were the exact same person. A lot of heart, a great representative of our school, but just didn't have all the right parts to be successful in the job in which they were placed.
October 6th, 2015 at 7:46 PM ^
Yeah how dare you not see him motivate Shane the 3 times they pan over to him on camera.
Do you people think before you post?
October 6th, 2015 at 7:58 PM ^
I appreciate the categorization of "you people" -- I feel at home now
But yeah, you are probably right. It's not like ESPN was absolutely obsessed with Shane that game. Showing him on the sideline at every opportunity possible since he was easily the biggest storyline of the game (before and after the concussion). So yeah, 2 or 3 times... tops.
October 6th, 2015 at 9:40 PM ^
Yeah b/c that concussion happened right in the 1st quarter right?
Please stop wasting your brain cells.
October 6th, 2015 at 11:33 PM ^
Because it's false equivalence. You don't hold the players responsible if the coaching wasn't there. I didn't and don't like seeing Hoke trashed, he's a human being. But when you get a certain salary grade and job title something goes along with that where you can't blame the people below you.
October 6th, 2015 at 7:36 PM ^
Sack yardage
#of 3 and outs
Fumbles lost
...even then, it's like whatever. You can use numbers to make any argument. Devin Gardner didn't control the offense near as well as Rudock has this year.
He wasn't ASS.
He would've been better with this OL and running game and coaching. But it's not a wash, IMO.
October 6th, 2015 at 7:46 PM ^
October 6th, 2015 at 7:48 PM ^
October 6th, 2015 at 7:51 PM ^
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October 6th, 2015 at 8:25 PM ^
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October 6th, 2015 at 8:51 PM ^
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October 6th, 2015 at 9:04 PM ^
I think Gardner's a fantastic guy and I feel terrible about the coaching he received. That said, this comparison is a bit misleading. Gardner's stats are inflated by that game against Appalachian State; he threw for more TDs against them (3) than in the next four weeks combined (2), while throwing six picks in those four games.
The other thing is that we needed more out of Gardner last year than we've needed from Rudock thus far. Our offense scored a total of 34 points against ND, Utah and Rutgers, all losses. Gardner failed to throw a TD pass, or record 200 yards passing, in any of those games.
October 6th, 2015 at 9:41 PM ^
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October 6th, 2015 at 9:40 PM ^
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October 6th, 2015 at 9:43 PM ^
I had same question and checked DG's numbers last year. Devin fumbled twice against ND last year and lost one. So even here, Rudock's two greater than Devin's one.
October 6th, 2015 at 10:56 PM ^
Our coaches jacked his and so many others careers.
October 6th, 2015 at 10:59 PM ^
Comparing a Hoke coached Player vs a Harbaugh player is not fair.
Devin most likely would be doing BETTER than Rudock is now under the same circumstance.
October 7th, 2015 at 8:14 AM ^
...what could've been. it makes me sad, and then i remember that he came out the other side with a u of m master's degree and appears to be a healthy, happy individual. i absolutely love the guy.