Michigan Football: Denard Robinson's Clutch Performance Ignites Heisman Campaign

Denard Robinson made himself a legitimate candidate for the Heisman award this season with a performance for the ages against rival Notre Dame.

He led Michigan to an epic comeback over the Fighting Irish, leading the Wolverines from a 24-7 deficit to a 35-31 win.

“Shoelace” definitely stepped up in a big moment under the lights. It was the first game ever played at night in Michigan Stadium, and Robinson was a shining star on the field that evening.

The Irish dominated Michigan early in the game, imposing their will on offense, defense and special teams for the first three quarters.

Brian Kelly’s squad had a 24-7 lead going into the fourth quarter, but Robinson punched the ball into the Notre Dame end zone just six seconds into the final quarter.

Shoelace then proceeded to throw another TD to Jeremy Gallon with 10:47 on the clock. After a back-and-forth battle, Denard struck again, finding Vincent Smith for a 21-yard strike with 01:12 left. It looked like Michigan would win it here, but the Irish did not give up.

42 seconds later, Tommy Rees found Theo Riddick for a TD strike and it seemed that the Wolverines would lose the battle.

This is where Shoelace did the impossible, masterminding a drive that saw Gallon catch a 64-yard strike into ND territory, and then coach Brady Hoke putting his faith in Robinson.

Instead of kicking the field goal to force OT, Hoke called a play that saw Denard throw a great ball to Roy Roundtree for a game-winning touchdown.

"It's never over until you see zeros on the clock," Robinson said.

It definitely isn’t, and the heart that Denard showed out on the field that night will be heavily considered when it comes time to vote for Heisman at the conclusion of this season.

If he continues to play at this epic level and win big when it counts, I can’t see how Denard won’t be a favorite to win the award. 

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