Denard Robinson Injury: Devin Gardner Would Be Solid Replacement at Michigan

Michigan quarterback Denard Robinson left Saturday's game against rival Michigan State after struggling all afternoon. Devin Gardner received playing time in both halves, as it appeared Robinson was having a hard time completing passes in a stiff wind.

Nick Baumgardner of AnnArbor.com updated the situation following the game:

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Robinson went 9-for-24 for 123 yards through the air, and rushed for just 42 yards before leaving with an apparent injury following a roughing the passer penalty late in the fourth quarter.

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Gardner, a sophomore who threw just 10 passes last season, would be the starter if Robinson were to miss any time. He's not as big of a dual-threat option as Robinson, but he can run and would probably fill Robinson's shoes quite well if given the practice time to prepare.

Robinson has struggled in big games throughout his electric tenure as the Wolverines quarterback. Last season, his best performances came against Massachusetts, Indiana and Bowling Green while struggling against more evenly-matched foes like Notre Dame, Ohio State and Michigan State.

Robinson's style leads him to get banged up a lot, much like Michael Vick in the NFL. Even though both guys are game-changers, the way they play makes them prone to getting clobbered.

Gardner on the other hand has more prototypical QB size. At 6'4'', 210 pounds, he'll be much better able to withstand the wear and tear of a Big Ten season.

While the extent of Robinson's injury is unclear, CBS Sports passed along information from Michigan head coach Brady Hoke, which states a hit to the head was the reason Robinson didn't return. Concussion is the first word to come to mind when you hear “hit to head” in football, but it's too early to speculate on that.

Healthy or not, Robinson should prepare for some harsh criticism after failing to lead Michigan to a big lead once again.