Gardner Still QB

Gardner tabbed as QB option for now, future


Brady Hoke made it official on Monday — Devin Gardner is a quarterback again.

Yes, Gardner still will play wide receiver when Denard Robinson is healthy, but he's going to be practicing as a quarterback, serving as Robinson's backup and will go into 2013 as the anointed starter.

He's even got a shot at 2014.

Gardner earned the return to his favorite position by leading Michigan to a 35-13 win at Minnesota on Saturday. With Robinson and Russell Bellomy sidelined by injury, Gardner threw for 234 and two touchdowns and ran for another.

"I thought Devin did a nice job managing the offense and he did a great job extending some plays and making things happen," Hoke said. "He threw one pick, which he'd obviously like back, but he learned from that, took care of the football and did a nice job."

Hoke said that it was always the plan for Gardner to go back to quarterback next season, but the timeline moved up with Robinson's elbow injury.

That was the moment Gardner had been waiting for. He nearly won the starting job as a freshman, but Robinson was given the first chance because of his experience and never looked back.

"We came out of camp even, but he got the start and took advantage of the opportunity," Gardner said. "He played the best game of his life against UConn, and then played another great game against Notre Dame."

Since then, Gardner has waited patiently for a chance. He said that he never considered transferring and agreed to play receiver this year in order to help the team. As it turned out, he thinks that decision has helped him as a quarterback.

"It is easier for receivers when the ball is in certain places, and you learn that when you are playing that spot," he said. "Yes, you still have to make tough catches, but if you can put the ball in a place where it turns a tough catch into a routine catch, that's better for everyone."

Michigan ran a different offensive scheme with Gardner than it normally uses with Robinson, and Hoke acknowledged that will be a preview of the 2013 system. Gardner takes more snaps under center and uses a lot of roll-out passes, as opposed to Robinson's specialty of shotgun snaps and read-option draws.

"All of the play action and outside stretch plays are because we were under center," Hoke said. "We don't do that as much with Denard because of the things he brings with the read play."

Gardner enjoyed the changes, saying it was more like what he ran as a high-school star at Inkster (Mich.) High School.

"Your instincts just take over," he said. "In high school, I rolled a lot and things like that, so I was comfortable. You can't worry about who's chasing you; you have to worry about what's going on downfield and how you can make a play."

So, even with five-star recruit Shane Morris coming to Ann Arbor next fall, Gardner is a firm favorite to be Michigan's starting quarterback in 2013. The question now is about 2014. After narrowly missing out on the starting job as a freshman, Gardner injured his back and only played in three games. 

Although Hoke said that the Wolverines haven't begun the official process, they are expected to try to appeal for a retroactive redshirt for that season. If the appeal is successful, it would leave Gardner with two years of eligibility remaining.

Gardner still might start Saturday against Northwestern, depending on the injury situation. Robinson is now practicing and "improving slowly," Hoke said, while Bellomy is sidelined with a mysterious injury. Hoke said he wouldn't comment on it, and he said that he didn't know if it would cost the freshman the rest of the season.

Miniature Michigan

The University of Michigan has a big campus, but somehow this video makes it seem much smaller. Here is a one-of-a-kind perspective of our beautiful campus.

The Color Run

Ryan and I did The Color Run yesterday. It was BY FAR the best 5K we have run! It was soooo much fun! If you don't know what it is or haven't heard of it before, below is a quick recap:

What is The Color Run™?
The Color Run™ 5k is a unique experience focused less on speed and more on crazy color fun with friends and family. Color runners come from all different ages, shapes, sizes, and speeds; but everyone toeing the start line has a blast. Whether you are a casual morning mall walker or an Olympic athlete, the 3 miles of The Color Run™ course will be the most memorable and colorful run of your life!

How does it work?
The Color Run™ event pretty much has TWO SIMPLE rules: 1)  White shirts (any mostly white T will work great) mandatory at the start line.  And 2) color plastered EVERYTHING at the finish!  Runner/walkers begin the 5k at the start line like a brand new pristine coloring book. By the end, they look like they fell into a Willy Wonka… tie dyed… vat of colored goodness. We are the creators of an all new paint race phenomena!

What is the Color?
Each kilometer of the event is associated with a designated color: yellow, orange, pink, or blue.  As the runners/walkers reach the Kilometer COLOR Zones, they are blitzed by our volunteers, sponsors, and staff with COLOR.   All products are 100% natural and safe.  You can eat the stuff if you’d like (we have tried it and don’t suggest it, it is surprisingly high in calories and leaves a chalky aftertaste).  See the diagram below for the COLOR ZONE specifics.  Of course, we save the best for last, ending the race with a color extravaganza of epic proportions.

The San Diego race was the biggest one yet - close to 30,000 people! It was INSANE! Friday night we went down to San Diego to pick up our race packets and got a sense of how many people were going to be there. The lines for the packets were wrapping AROUND the building - I would say at least 45 minutes wait.

The race was to be held at Qualcomm Stadium (where the Chargers play). They had warned that we should expect game day type traffic and to get there early. The race itself was at 9am (they actually had two races - one at 9am, which we had signed up for and one at 1:30pm). We ended up leaving our place around 6:45am and getting down to San Diego around 7:15am. We actually beat the rush and were able to get into the parking lot and get a great spot with little trouble at all. We relaxed in the car for about 45 minutes before heading out into the lot.

As you know, you are supposed to wear ALL WHITE (that way the color is more noticable), which meant Ryan needed to get some white pants - I know, can you believe it, he didn't have any, hehe. We ended up finding him a cheap pair of WOMENS white sweatpants at Walmart that he cut into shorts.

We made our way to the race area around 8:10am or so (most of the people there at that time were picking up their bibs and getting registered still). There weren't too many people by the start, so we used this time to take some pre-race pictures and get a little stretching in.

The closer it got to 9am, the more people you could see filling in the parking lot. They explained that they would let us out in waves (thankfully we were in the first wave), making sure that there wasn't too much of a hold up at the color stations.

The color stations that we went through were Pink @ 1K, Yellow @ 2K, Orange @ 3K, Blue @ 4K and then the COLOR FEST at the end! I tried to take pictures after most of the color areas, but it was difficult trying to get my phone protected in my running belt and not get it covered in color.

Ryan and I ended up beating our time from last week (it was actually Ryan's fastest 5K yet, even though it wasn't timed). I think it was probably because the color stations were pretty consistent throughout the course and we were having such a good time that you spent less time focusing on running and more time just having a blast.

And the party at the end was SUPER fun! In your race packets they give you an extra bag of color to throw at the end. Everyone (that had finished at that point - don't worry, they do it every 15 minutes or so, that way you can definitely get in on at least one) gathers, they count down, and then you throw the color.

We threw our color during the first party and then we stuck around for the second one so that I could get a little video of it. Once it starts settling it just looks like a big dust cloud, but if you watch the very beginning, you can see each of the individual colors - SOOOO AWESOME!!

If there is one in your area, I would DEFINITELY recommend signing up! It is NOT a serious race, it's not timed, you don't get a medal, but man, it really reminds you WHY we should be running - BECAUSE IT IS A BLAST!!

Furry Belly

The panda cub's furry belly was on full display this morning as he had his 11th veterinary exam. Staff found his first tooth, and determined that his body condition is above average. Pics & info: http://ow.ly/eYu4P Watch him live on Panda Cam: http://sandiegozoo.org/pandacam

Happy B-Day Mackinac Bridge!

Did you know that on this day in 1957, The Mackinac Bridge opened for the first time?

NOVEMBER 1, 1957

The Mackinac Bridge, connecting Michigan's two major peninsulas, opens. 

After numerous proposals to bridge the Straits of Mackinac—the earliest in 1884—Governor G. Mennen Williams appointed the Mackinac Bridge Authority in 1950. Former U.S. Senator Prentiss M. Brown of St. Ignace served as chairman. After much effort, the authority received legislative permission to build the bridge. The project began in May 1954. The bridge's central span—3,800 feet between the towers—is the third largest such span in the world. The length between anchorages is 8,614 feet, making it the world's longest suspension bridge at the time. By 1989, two million vehicles annually cross the bridge and, every Labor Day, thousands of people walk across the 26,444-foot-long structure.

Lake Michigan Surf

Lake Michigan Surf from Josh Tyron on Vimeo.

Traditions @ CA Adventure

Creating Holiday Traditions on Buena Vista Street at Disney California Adventure Park

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Buena Vista Street is filled with dreams of a bright future for all, and this Yuletide season promises to be even brighter as this happy, bustling community celebrates its first Christmas with joyous new traditions.

Shopkeepers up and down the street have decorated for the holidays, but inside the lavish Elias & Co. department store, they’ve gone all out to create a winter wonderland for the arrival of Santa Claus. Here, wide-eyed children may take a seat alongside the jolly old elf to share with him their fondest wishes for Christmas morning.

Another new idea really struck a chord after a holiday committee meeting of the Buena Vista Street Chamber of Commerce. Wishing to serve their community, eight individuals decided to form a volunteer holiday troupe, calling themselves the Buena Vista Street Community Bell Ringers. Acting as a spirited, traveling “welcome wagon” to anyone visiting this friendly neighborhood, the Bell Ringers take their festive cheer to the street, encouraging others to join in spontaneous ring-along sing-alongs of familiar holiday tunes.

As dusk falls each evening, the Buena Vista Street Community Bell Ringers will gather in Carthay Circle with their fellow Citizens of Buena Vista Street. The sound of bells rings out, and everyone is invited to join together in the lighting of the town’s Christmas tree, wishing goodwill and joy to one and all!

You’re all invited to come join in the merriment, November 12 through January 6, at Disney California Adventure park.