Michigan to start true freshman quarterback
Michigan starting quarterback Devin Gardner will not play in the Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl because of a broken foot.
Coach Brady Hoke announced that true freshman Shane Morris would get the start for the Wolverines, who have lost four of their past five games.
Gardner was on crutches when the team left Ann Arbor for Phoenix. He was known to be dealing with a foot injury suffered in the regular-season finale against Ohio State. It was not known that Gardner broke his foot in the third quarter of that game.
Morris said Thursday he just found out officially that he would start earlier in the day. Hoke informed Morris last week that there could be a chance he'd get the call.
Gardner led scoring drives on three of the next four possessions and Michigan failed on a two-point conversion attempt to end the game in a one-point loss.
Gardner was second in the Big Ten in total offense with 286.9 yards per game and accounted for 32 touchdowns. He is wearing a walking boot and coach Hoke first said Tuesday it was possible Gardner will not play Saturday in the bowl game against Kansas State.
"It's kind of day to day," Hoke said earlier in the week. "Right now -- if we were playing tonight, he would not play. We're going into it that Shane will be the guy."
Morris played in two games in 2013 and completed 5 of 9 pass attempts.
