The Wolverine Now

NOV. 18, 2012 stretch run. Now it features two. Iowa hasn't witnessed a more devastat- PLOWED UNDER M ichigan entered November hoping it had a quarterback ready for the ing combination than senior quarterback Denard Robinson and junior QB Devin Gardner since blight and locusts blew into town at the same time. The scintillating duo — highlighted by Robinson's triumphant return from injury at quarterback and running back — sim- ply devastated the Hawkeyes in a 42-17 scorched-earth finale at Michigan Stadium. Robinson drew thunderous cheers just for getting on the field, but this wasn't a fleeting appearance. He rushed 13 times for 98 yards, caught two passes for 24 more and immediately gave Ohio State's defen- sive staff a week-long migraine. Meanwhile, Gardner experienced his finest day yet behind center. He tore the Hawkeyes up with three touchdown tosses and three more scores on the ground, con- necting on 18 of 23 attempts for 314 yards and adding 37 rushing yards on nine car- ries. The Wolverines scored touchdowns the first six times they touched the football. Any thoughts Kirk Ferentz's squad har- bored about road feistiness was washed away in a tsunami of offensive effective- ness by the home team. 42 Dual QBs Double The Pain For Iowa, 42-17 BY JOHN BORTON "He is elusive back there, tough to bring down and tough to contain first of all," Fe- rentz said of Gardner. "You think you have got him and he buys time. They have very good skilled players, and they have had that traditionally. "It looks to me that they have it again. I think they have three very good receivers, not including if Robinson goes out there. 17 That quarterback has really done a nice job." Robinson did go out there, and the com- bination proved devastating, the Wolverines piling up 513 total yards to Iowa's 309. It wasn't all sunshine on Senior Day. Michigan experienced both ends of the emotional spectrum on the very first drive. Robinson, to turf-rattling cheers, got the ball at tailback on the opening two plays of the game. He later moved to quarterback then back to tailback, taking a Gardner handoff and pitching to Fitzgerald Tous- saint. The redshirt junior tailback broke off a 10-yard gain, but it proved to be Michigan's loss. He wound up carted off with a serious leg injury and taken away for surgery, cast- ing a huge shadow over the Wolverines' 12-play, 70-yard touchdown drive, capped by Gardner's one-yard TD sneak. Junior quarterback Devin Gardner went 18-of-23 passing for 314 yards, with three touchdowns and just one interception, in leading U-M to the rout over the Hawkeyes. PHOTO BY PER KJELDSEN "He's in the hospital now and had sur- gery," Hoke said. "We'll leave it at that for now. His mother wasn't here, he had two brothers here. I want to make sure his mother knows first." Iowa (4-7 overall record) demonstrated it hadn't just showed up for Robinson's going-away party, answering with a 14- play, 75-yard drive of its own. Quarterback James Vandenberg (19-of-26, 181 yards,

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