Various sources on Twitter: Gardner played fourth quarter against OSU with a broken foot
Devin Gardner led #Michigan to three TD drives on final 4 series against #Buckeyes AFTER he broke his left foot that day.
— Bruce Feldman (@BFeldmanCBS) December 26, 2013
Via Bruce Feldman and others. This is incredible. I cannot imagine how painful this was. Sort of explains why he couldn't run an option play on the two point conversion and why it was so critical to go for two instead of the tie.
December 26th, 2013 at 2:01 PM ^
Except he played hockey. And graduated in 2009.
December 26th, 2013 at 1:54 PM ^
That said, this thought about it just being turf toe and smoke from Hoke is hokum.
December 26th, 2013 at 1:59 PM ^
I remember my first spiked eggnog as well...
December 26th, 2013 at 2:50 PM ^
"hope Miller impresses in enough capacity that Gardner moves back to the only position he has a shot to play on Sundays, wide receiver"
This guy is why they didn't recruit a second QB to compete with Shane Morris. Thanks for your insider on this...
#secretweapon
December 26th, 2013 at 4:09 PM ^
and your idiotic, purposefully inflammatory avatar name.
December 26th, 2013 at 1:01 PM ^
December 26th, 2013 at 1:10 PM ^
For all of the bitchers of the last play in particular "why didn't Borges give him a run/pass option?" yada, yada, yada
Maybe, just maybe the staff knew he was hobbled and made the call. But of course, nobody who bitched about it will fess up.
Shane is very capable of doing well. Might be a little nervous at first and I'm sure the staff knows that and will take it into consideration. Also, don't be suprised if Shane runs a bit... he is not slow and can take off when necessary.
December 26th, 2013 at 2:22 PM ^
I think a lot of people suggested that very thing at the time. Don't need conformation today that Gardner was playing through injury by the end of that game.
December 26th, 2013 at 1:10 PM ^
December 26th, 2013 at 2:31 PM ^
December 26th, 2013 at 1:13 PM ^
The series after Gardner suffers his foot injury he was ineffectual as a passer (2-5) and he didn't run and UM turned the ball over on downs. This is now quite understandable because it was his plant foot that was injured. However, during the following series, which went into the 4th Q he went 5-6 with a TD pass.
The next series Gardner was 5-7 including another TD pass and he also ran for 14 yards and 3 yards. He was then 7-9 on the last drive which included yet another TD pass. Surprisingly Gardner was at his best after he was injured.
December 26th, 2013 at 1:14 PM ^
December 26th, 2013 at 1:17 PM ^
that go right into michigan lore.
sucks we didnt win, but this is the kind of thing that 30 years from now people tell their kids "i remember watching DG throw for 400 yards against ohio on a broken foot..."
heal up DG and bring us back to the promiseland next year...
December 26th, 2013 at 1:21 PM ^
Wow, impressive that he played so well despite being obviously hobbled. Now lets cheer on Morris and hope we can pull out a win sat.
December 26th, 2013 at 1:33 PM ^
This kid.
December 26th, 2013 at 4:05 PM ^
December 26th, 2013 at 1:43 PM ^
December 26th, 2013 at 1:46 PM ^
December 26th, 2013 at 1:47 PM ^
December 26th, 2013 at 1:59 PM ^
Thinking of the bad luck Hoke has had with QB injuries at key moments. Denard at Nebraska, this. His tenure could look quite a bit different.
Ok, maybe not that different. But different.
December 26th, 2013 at 10:00 PM ^
He could well have a 2012 B1G ring on his finger right now if Denard hadn't gotten hurt. We would have only had to beat a 4-4 Wisconsin team in the BTCG.
December 27th, 2013 at 11:10 AM ^
Until a little while ago, I just figured that Michigan was experiencing the normal amount of bumps and bruises that one would expect after playing 12 football games. Then I perused USAToday's odds matchup for tomorrow's game. Michigan has 11 players listed with injuries; KSU has two. Is KSU lucky? Is Michigan just unlucky -- or more forthcoming? Is there an issue with Michigan's field or its training? If my memory serves, Michigan had very few injuries in 2011, but last year there were a number of minor injuries plus injuries to Countess, Fitz and, of course, Denard. This year the number of ACL's alone was alarming. Anyone have some insight?
December 26th, 2013 at 2:02 PM ^
what a stud.
and if the team had just converted on the 2 point, it would be legend - approaching the bloody sock even.
December 26th, 2013 at 2:04 PM ^
hell!
Kudos to Gardner for playing as well as he did. I don't know many players who could have done what he did hurt in that game.
Hopefully the Univ. of MIchigan medical school will get right on this case to heal up the bones super fast.
December 26th, 2013 at 2:05 PM ^
December 26th, 2013 at 2:17 PM ^
December 26th, 2013 at 2:18 PM ^
I have to believe that a few guys in the 1930-40s played with a broken bone somewhere, just to win one for the team. Devin obviously demontrated the willpower and pain tolerance of anyone from Harmon's era. While 7-5 was an ugly season, can't fault a guy like #98 who led us back twice (down 14 to tie and down 7 late).
As for the 2-pt play, would have liked to seen a different PASS play given OSU had time to see out 1st formation - but hey if KALIS HAD HELD HIS BLOCK A SECOND OR TWO LONGER Gallon might have broken open. Devin got hit right after the pass by a guy who blew past Kalis. Hopefully, Kalis is a lot better next year and lives up to the hype.
December 26th, 2013 at 2:27 PM ^
December 26th, 2013 at 2:45 PM ^
December 26th, 2013 at 3:10 PM ^
December 26th, 2013 at 3:44 PM ^
Painful yes, valiant yes, but broken foot sounds perhaps worse than it was. BUT the key was that on the 2 point conversion, Devin had 3 different options - one was a Qb run which was open, but he probably ruled that out due to lack of mobility. Still Devin has been a warrior and model citizen all year and deserves every UM fan's 100% support.
December 26th, 2013 at 4:27 PM ^
eating cheetos, drinking beer, and declining to go for a run because it's cold outside nonetheless pronouncing in all seriousness that a highly-trained athlete who has very large men trying to take his head off on every play is "soft."
December 26th, 2013 at 4:36 PM ^
for toughness, but this puts him in a legandry company.
December 26th, 2013 at 5:30 PM ^
December 26th, 2013 at 6:33 PM ^
December 26th, 2013 at 8:31 PM ^
Good God, DG is a beast. Amazing.
If we would have won, it would have gone down as one of the most legendary performances of the modern UM era.
December 26th, 2013 at 10:11 PM ^