Devin Gardner returns to starting QB role for Michigan
The storm of Michigan’s lackluster 2-3 start continued on Wednesday as embattled head coach Brady Hoke announced that Devin Gardner will start for the Wolverines at Rutgers on Saturday night.
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Gardner, who started the first four games for Michigan, was benched in favor of Shane Morris for last week’s 30-14 loss to Minnesota. Morris completed just 7 of 19 passes for 49 yards before being replaced by Gardner, who led the Wolverines to a 74-yard scoring drive. Morris sustained a high ankle sprain and a mild concussion on Saturday, yet was placed back into the game when Gardner had to miss a play after losing his helmet. The play has sparked controversy across the board, with Hoke being criticized for the decision, while Michigan athletic director also coming under fire.
Michigan, which lost three games in September for the first time in the program’s 135-year history, will look to Gardner to shake the team’s offensive malaise. The Wolverines enter Saturday’s game ranked 101st in the nation in both total offense and scoring. Gardner has completed 63 percent of his passes for 733 yards with five touchdown passes and six interceptions. He has just one rushing touchdown thus far after a 2013 in which he scored 11 times on the ground.
Michigan’s offense was expected to be revamped after the hiring of offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier from Alabama, yet its struggles are defined by its lack of a downfield passing attack, which is ranked 108th in passing yards. The Scarlet Knights (4-1) do provide a glimmer of optimism for the Wolverines, as Rutgers ranks 108th in the nation against the pass.