Devin Gardner meet Steve Smith. Smith has been waiting 30 years for someone to join his exclusive one-man club, and on Saturday, Gardner did just that ...
http-equiv="content-type">
align="center">
bgcolor="#000080"> TheWolverine.com Hot 11
align="center" bgcolor="#c0c0c0">Rank
align="center" bgcolor="#c0c0c0">
align="center" bgcolor="#c0c0c0"> Player
align="center" bgcolor="#c0c0c0"> The Analysis
align="center" bgcolor="#c0c0c0">Last Rank
1
face="verdana">Devin Gardner,
QB
style="font-family: verdana;">Gardner did something Saturday that hadn't been done in the past 28 years -- account for six touchdowns -- matching a mark last achieved by Steve Smith in 1983. Gardner threw for 314 yards and three scores, and rushed for three TDs, finishing the game with a pass efficiency rating of 227.29.
style="font-size:14.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt; font-family:Palatino;mso-fareast-font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝";mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-US; mso-fareast-language:EN-US;mso-bidi-language:AR-SA">
style="font-family: verdana;">Robinson started at running back for the first time in his career Saturday, and he finished with 98 yards rushing on 13 carries (7.5 yards per rush) while adding 24 yards on two receptions. The senior also operated as a wildcat QB, giving the Buckeyes plenty to think about this week.
style="font-family: verdana;">NR
3
face="verdana">
face="verdana">Roy Roundtreeface="verdana">,
WR
face="verdana">Roundtree had 13 catches in the first eight games, and has had 12 receptions in his past three contests after another stellar performance Saturday in which he made five grabs for 83 yards and a score. Roundtree's 37-yard touchdown staked U-M to a lead it would never relinquish.
style="font-family: verdana;">2
4
face="verdana">
face="verdana">Jeremy Gallon,
WR
style="font-family: verdana;">style="font-family: verdana;">Gallon had his second 100-yard receiving effort of the season, catching five passes for 133 yards, including a 51-yard grab. Gallon now has a team-high 34 receptions for 617 yards this season, and has proven to be both a reliable third-down target and a big-play, downfield option for the Wolverines. face="verdana">
style="font-family: verdana;">4
5
face="verdana">
style="font-family: verdana;">Kenny Demens,
LB
style="font-family: verdana;"> A week after being gutted by the Northwestern offense, Michigan's defense responded in kind, holding Iowa to just 309 yards of total offense, including 128 yards rushing on 34 carries (3.8 yards per carry). Demens was at the heart of that stout play, recording five stops, including one for loss, while lending his experience and leadership.
style="font-family: verdana;">5
6
face="verdana">
face="verdana">Jordan Kovacs,
SS
face="verdana">Michigan's vaunted No. 1-ranked pass defense allowed 181 yards to the Hawkeyes, but just 84 yards in the first three quarters while the game was still being decided. The captain of the defense, in his final home game, Kovacs was critical to that success, and he made quite a few big tackles too, finishing with five, including a sack.
style="font-family: verdana;">9
7
face="verdana">
face="verdana">James Ross,
LB
face="verdana">Ross earned his second career start Saturday (in place of the injured Desmond Morgan), and, boy did he clean up. The rookie weakside linebacker had a team-high 12 tackles, including seven stops alone in the fourth quarter. He made a number of big plays early and is a viable replacement if Morgan is out this week against Ohio State.
style="font-family: verdana;">NR
8
face="verdana">
face="verdana">Vincent Smith,
RB
face="verdana">A terrific third-down back, Smith gave the Michigan fans one more memory of what he is capable of, catching a screen pass and going 18 yards untouched for his seventh career receiving touchdown. Smith ties Gerald White (1983-86) for the most TD receptions ever by a U-M ball carrier.
style="font-family: verdana;">NR
9
face="verdana">
face="verdana">Devin Funchess,
TE
face="verdana">The freshman tight end was targeted a few times but only made one catch Saturday. It just happened to be a big one -- a 29-yard touchdown. Funchess now has five scores among his 14 receptions this season (35.7 percent going for TDs), and has scored a touchdown in back-to-back games for the second time this year. face="verdana">
style="font-family: verdana;">6
10
face="verdana">
face="verdana">Joe Bolden,
LB
face="verdana">The freshman middle linebacker got some early, and consistent, playing time Saturday, and delivered with his opportunity, notching six tackles, including a team-high two for loss. Bolden now has 28 tackles on the year, three behind the line of scrimmage, and a sack.
style="font-family: verdana;">NR
11
face="verdana">
face="verdana">Joe Reynolds
WR
style="font-family: verdana;">Welcome to the record books Joe. Reynolds made the first three receptions of his career Saturday, good for 22 yards, as he has, over the past few weeks, leapfrogged scholarships receivers Jeremy Jackson and Jerald Robinson to be one of the first wideouts off the bench. The walk-on with a year of eligibility remaining has already proven himself a superb blocker.
...