How Devin Gardner Can Put Michigan on the Right Path Again

Devin Gardner will be the starting quarterback when Michigan travels to play Rutgers on Saturday night. He gets the nod after relieving Shane Morris, who was knocked out of last week’s game.

“He [Devin] will be our quarterback, and we have great belief in Devin," said Hoke. "We have great belief in what he has done."

It’s a shot at redemption for a player who now has a chance to rescue his team, his coach and his legacy. Under intense pressure to save his job, head coach Brady Hoke needs his fifth-year senior quarterback to play well now more than ever before.

Michigan football remains in turmoil for its mishandling of Morris’ multiple injuries versus Minnesota. According to Yahoo Sports' Graham Watson, fans have called for both Hoke and athletic director David Brandon to lose their jobs.

Gardner has the physical talent to be a great quarterback—he’s a tough, versatile player with a strong throwing arm and no fear of running the ball. However, his decision-making under pressure has been suspect.

Here’s how CBSSports.com's Dane Brugler evaluated his pro prospects prior to the season:

"

WEAKNESSES: Upper and lower body mechanics are a mess and he often releases while off-balance, causing his ball placement to end up all over the place. He holds the ball too long and has struggled in the past with anticipating the rush and not recognizing his keys to find favorable match-ups downfield.

Poise and pocket presence is lacking at this point and he needs to do a better job working around the noise while keeping his eyes downfield.

"

His play this season reinforced the notion that he’s a talented but flawed player. After losing his job to Morris, it appeared that Gardner wouldn’t have a chance to prove his critics wrong.

Now, while facing the greatest pressure and most intense scrutiny of his career, Gardner has a chance to rewrite the script. Michigan’s fade has moved beyond the sports page, and the spotlight is on Gardner.

Here is what he needs to do to rally his team and get the season back on track.


Take Care of the Football

Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images

Gardner tends to overestimate his arm strength and accuracy. He needs to stop throwing into double coverage and hoping for the best. Part of it is driven by desperation to make a big play when his receivers are covered, but as a senior quarterback, he needs to make better decisions.

The Michigan offense is not nearly good enough to overcome bad turnovers, and that includes when he takes off and doesn’t properly secure the ball.


Stop Locking on Receivers

Gardner has a problem with short passes being intercepted or knocked down. At least two of his interceptions this season were the result of passes being tipped near the line of scrimmage. He simply locks on to his intended receiver immediately and gives the defense a chance to make a big play.

This is a serious flaw in his technique that he needs to overcome.


Settle Down in the Pocket

Gene J. Puskar/Associated Press

Gardner needs to show patience in the pocket—a tough trait to display considering the pressure he’s been under behind a suspect offensive line. He needs to move in the pocket and find time for receivers to get open.

Too often, his feet aren’t set and his accuracy suffers as a result.

Gardner knows what to do. This summer he instructed players at the Manning Passing Academy in fundamentals of how play the position.

Now he needs to take his own advice and not be too quick to exit the pocket.

Maximize the Opportunity

Gardner’s bad habits have grown worse over time. Maybe watching from the sidelines has given him insight on his previous mistakes.

Credit: Twitter

If Gardner’s Twitter presence is any indication, he’s looking forward to the challenge of salvaging this season. Last week he supported Morris putting his disappointment aside for the good of the team.

Now he's tasked with pulling Michigan out of a tailspin that is about a lot more than just wins and losses.

His teammates are hoping he’s up to the task. 

Phil Callihan is a featured writer for Bleacher Report. Unless otherwise noted, all quotations obtained firsthand.

Follow @PSCallihan