Recapping Iowa

The Seniors made their final dash under the Michigan banner on Saturday and ended their careers with a bang. And by bang, I mean a win against Iowa on a beautiful Saturday afternoon in Ann Arbor.

The buzz all week was surrounding the thought of Denard Robinson possibly not being able to play on Senior Day, but those scary thoughts were put to rest early in the game. Robinson made his first career start on Saturday and displayed the play-making ability we've had the joy of witnessing over the past three years.

Iowa never really seemed to have an answer for the combination of Devin Gardner and Denard Robinson being in at the same time. We saw something similar last season, but Gardner wasn't near the threat he is now, so it seldom worked. But this time around, teams have to give him respect. A lot of the time, it looked like the Hawkeyes could only pick their poison.

Recapping: Northwestern

Devin Gardner did it again.

We were all counting on Denard Robinson to make his return to the field on Saturday against Northwestern, but that didn't turn out to be the case. Instead, we had to once again out our faith in backup Devin Gardner, making the second start at QB of his career.

This game had a little bit more pressure packed into it, though, as the Wildcats are a rising team in the Big Ten and were still breathing in the Legends Division race.  Still, Gardner went out and made his greatest contribution to the Wolverines in his 3 years of wearing a winged helmet. He threw for nearly 300 yards and 2 TDs, adding 47 yards on the ground with another 2 TDs.

Week 10: Top Performers And Underperformers

Taking a game on the road against a sneaky Minnesota team was absolutely vital for Michigan as they try to keep the dreams of a Big Ten Championship alive. Some key performances were needed in order for that happen, and we're here to recap them; good and bad.

As always, we will start with the positives.

Top Performers

1.    Devin Gardner - QB

Devin Gardner out together one of the most important performances of the year for Michigan. When Denard Robinson was scratched last minute, it wasn't a question of who would step in. Gardner had been preparing all week to see some action behind center. But nobody anticipated the break out he had against the Gophers.

Gardner looked so composed in the pressure situation and did not let the moment get the best of him. He was making good decisions, didn't force anything, and showed the ability to put the ball on the money.

He completed 12 of 18 passes for 234 yards and 2 TDs. One of those scores was a 45-yard bomb to Drew Dileo, and the other was a perfectly placed ball on a fade route to Jeremy Gallon.

Recapping: Minnesota

In Devin Gardner we trust.

I'll admit I was a little scared when the last minute news broke that Denard Robinson would not be a go against Minnesota. But we have to give credit to the coaching staff for preparing Gardner as though he would at least see some action.

Devin did the rest himself.

Gardner completed his first pass of the season, and that had to have given him a world of confidence moving forward in that game. However, on Michigan's second possession,  Gardner attempted his second pass and was picked off, rolling out to his right. But it was near flawless from that point on.

Recapping: Nebraska

It was another week of pure frustration for the Michigan offense as they failed yet again to score a touchdown against a mediocre defense.

The past two weeks have been almost identical stories. The offense does absolutely nothing, while the defense holds its ground and does a great job of keeping the Wolverines in the game. However, this week, the offense was without QB Denard Robinson for most of the game.

Robinson re-aggravated a nerve in his throwing arm and was unable to grip the ball. That left a heavy load on backup Russell Bellomy, who had not seen significant game time up to that point.

To say the least, Bellomy was unimpressive, and it was a clear reality check as to how much Denard Robinson mean to the Michigan offense.

Before being knocked out of the game, Robinson was 6/11 passing with 55 yards. Impressively, he took some shots down field and kept the safeties honest enough to open up his game on the ground. Robinson was taken out on a rush to the left side inside the 10 yard line. When he cut back, it didn't look like he was harder than usual, but he landed on the arm just right and aggravated that nerve.

Bellomy took over on first and goal but was unable to punch into the endzone. Nebraska's defense seized the opportunity to feast on the inexperienced redshirt freshman and did so all night.

He finished the night just 3/16 passing for 38 yards and 3 INTs, one of which being in the endzone. What I noticed about Bellomy was the lack of accuracy. When he sets his feet, he has the arm strength to throw the ball deep, but accuracy was a serious issue.

Fitzgerald Toussaint continued his campaign of being a non-factor against the Cornhusker defense with 38 yards on 15 carries. He's been getting his shots the last couple of weeks but can't cash them in. I was also surprised to not see Thomas Rawls. I don't want to speculate, but that was the second straight week without Rawls, and it was the second straight week without a touchdown.

Defensively, giving up 23 points to Nebraska is not a bad day. They picked off Martinez once and forced another turnover on a fumble.

The thing that continues to impress me with the defense is their ability to rise to the occasion. By that, I mean: when 3rd and short comes, you can count on a stop. You can expect a goal line stand. It's those plays that kept Michigan in the game, until late, once again.

The ability to get in the backfield has also impressed me. Jake Ryan and Craig Roh stand out the most to me. Both are extremely explosive and don't miss their tackles. Not to mention, the mere image of Jake Ryan has to give opponents nightmares.


Tyler's Prediction Record: 7-1. Yes, my first loss.

Week 8: Top Performers And Underperformers

Snapping the losing streak against rival Michigan State wasn't a clean cut process, but you can't win in a game like that without at least one key performance. The Wolverines found that key performance in Drew Dileo, but who else contributed? And who wasn't that impressive?

Either Way, these players combined together to end a four year losing streak to that other team in the state of Michigan.

Let's take a look.