Devin Gardner, Roy Roundtree, Jeremy Gallon and Fitzgerald Toussaint. Those four all played a key role in leading Michigan to an improbable win over Northwestern, and all four lead today's Hot 11 ...
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bgcolor="#000080"> TheWolverine.com Hot 11
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align="center" bgcolor="#c0c0c0"> Player
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face="verdana">Devin Gardner,
QB
style="font-family: verdana;">The junior stepped in for Denard Robinson again and led U-M to a comeback victory thanks to his poise and leadership down the stretch. In the final quarter and overtime, Gardner completed 7 of 11 attempts (63.6 percent) for 134 yards and a touchdown, while rushing for the game-winning touchdown. He finished the game with 286 yards passing and two scores.
style="font-family: verdana;">Roundtree was targeted 10 times Saturday and came up with five catches, good for 139 yards. Each of his five grabs went for a first down, and none was bigger than his miraculous 53-yard haul in the waning seconds of the contest, setting up the game-tying field goal. Roundtree now has six 100-yard efforts in his career.
face="verdana">Yes, there was the fumble, but Toussaint still had, arguably, his best game this season, finishing with 92 yards rushing and a key 28-yard touchdown reception, using some nifty footwork to stay in-bounds and race down the sideline. In the fourth quarter, the junior carried six times for 27 yards, showing improved vision and toughness as he helped spark the comeback.
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face="verdana">Jeremy Gallon,
WR
style="font-family: verdana;">style="font-family: verdana;">Gallon's seven receptions were the most by any receiver in a single game this year, with four of his grabs good for first downs. The redshirt junior set up a key TD with his 42-yard third-quarter grab, rallying U-M from a 24-14 deficit, and then returned a punt 23 yards to set up the late-game heroics of Gardner and Roundtree.
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style="font-family: verdana;">Kenny Demens,
LB
style="font-family: verdana;"> It wasn't a particularly proud day for the Michigan defense, but at crunch time, Demens made two of the game's biggest plays, dropping Wildcat QB Kain Colter for a one-yard loss on 3rd-and-1 in overtime and then coming up with the crushing stop on 4th-and-2 in clinching U-M's triumphant victory.
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face="verdana">Devin Funchess,
TE
face="verdana">The rookie tight end was only targeted twice Saturday, and it's pretty clear he needs the football more than that. Funchess had a spectacular TD snag in the back of the end zone, reaching over a defender to snare the football with his fingertips. It was his only grab of the afternoon but it was huge.
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face="verdana">Will Hagerup,
P
face="verdana">After back-to-back sup-bar outings, the junior punter responded with his second-best effort this season, booming the ball three times for an average of 51.3 yards per punt. Thanks to Hagerup and punt coverage, Michigan limited dangerous returnman Venric Mark to 30 yards on three returns.
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face="verdana">Thomas Gordon,
FS
face="verdana">Michigan's linebackers didn't make enough plays Saturday, forcing its safeties to clean up for them, and Gordon answered that call, finishing with a team-high 11 tackles, including one for loss. The tally marked a career afternoon for the redshirt junior, who had a previous high of nine stops.
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face="verdana">Jordan Kovacs,
SS
face="verdana">There were quite a few black marks on Kovacs' resume this week, but as big plays needed to be made, he started delivering, first hitting Colter on a blitz that put an end to Northwestern's success on third down, and then notching a pair of pass breakups. Kovacs would finish with five stops also. face="verdana">
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face="verdana">Jibreel Black,
DT
face="verdana">Black hasn't been the consistent playmaker we were expecting this year, accumulating only three tackles for loss all season, but all is forgotten when you make one of the game's critical plays. After a U-M turnover, with the Wildcats driving, Black sacked Colter and forced a fumble, which Michigan would recover and turn into seven points.
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face="verdana">Thomas Rawls
RB
style="font-family: verdana;">Three carries, one yard. Not exactly a banner performance, but Rawls' struggles helped prove it's more about the offensive line than the running backs. And despite a lack of blocking up front, he barreled his way into the end zone, scoring from a yard out to stake the Wolverines to a 14-7 lead.
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