Denard Robinson was unable to play because of the lingering elbow injury he suffered in a loss to Nebraska last week, but that didn't stop the Michigan Wolverines from subduing the Minnesota Golden Gophers, 35-13, in an impressive road performance on Saturday at TCF Bank Stadium in Minneapolis.
Robinson was ruled out before the contest, which led U-M head coach Brady Hoke to tap Devin Gardner as his replacement, despite the fact the junior hadn't started a game at quarterback in his college career. While Gardner was Robinson's top backup in 2011, he has played at wide receiver in 2012, but made a smooth transition back to being under center, after some first-quarter struggles. Gardner completed 12 of 18 passes for 234 yards and two touchdowns, with one interception, and had a 2-yard rushing TD.
Drew Dileo and Jeremy Gallon were on the receiving end of Gardner's scoring strikes, which went for 45 and 10 yards respectively, the latter of which officials reviewed to make sure Gallon retained possession, and which was upheld as a score. Fitzgerald Toussaint ground out 70 yards rushing on 18 carries, and crossed the plane for a TD following a 41-yard dash. Fellow ball carrier Thomas Rawls chipped in a 2-yard score of his own late in the first half.
The win allowed Michigan to keep the Little Brown Jug in Ann Arbor, and boosted their record to 6-3 overall and 4-1 in Big Ten Conference play. The Maize and Blue next take on the Northwestern Wildcats in the first of two consecutive home games. Kickoff for the clash at Michigan Stadium is scheduled for noon ET. Read more about the win over the Golden Gophers in an article on MGoBlue.com, which also has links to a photo gallery, notes, and more.
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