Isaiah Hole
Devin Gardner Talks Rivalry, Chris Evans' Return In 2020
At his Monday press conference, U-M head coach Jim Harbaugh dropped two significant nuggets - first stating that junior linebacker Josh Ross is healthy enough to play after missing the last six games due to injury but that the plan is to use the Orchard Lake St. Mary's star just once more.
Harbaugh did say it's possible Ross plays more than one game, but if the Wolverines can limit him to a single contest the rest of the season, Ross will be eligible for a redshirt and could play two more years in a winged helmet.
(New NCAA eligibility rules allows any player to redshirt if he appears in four or fewer games and has not already redshirted).
"If they think they need him, Ohio State is the game to play him in," said Gardner. "If you don’t feel like you need him for that game, you play him in the Michigan State game because he’s an in-state guy, an unselfish guy, a team-first guy, and you have to give him an opportunity to play in that game."
Also on Monday, Harbaugh announced former running back Chris Evans is set to be re-admitted to the University of Michigan this January and could rejoin the football team in time for spring practice. Evans was dis-enrolled at U-M in the spring following an academic issue that violated school policy. He tweeted a picture last week suggesting a return to the Maize and Blue was coming.
"Everyone deserves a second opportunity, and I think he’ll do a great job with it," Gardner said.
"Our record might look a little differently if Chris Evans was on this football team from the beginning of the season. He would have been able to usher in those [young] running backs a little more slowly so they could develop fully.
"I think Chris Evans is a phenomenal back and a very good pass catcher as well. He came in as a receiver and developed into a running back. That is a great development to this football team and I think it will help us going forward."
As a starter, Gardner went 0-2 against MSU in 2013-14, though he was a receiver on the 2012 team that beat the Spartans 12-10, ending a four-game losing streak to the Green and White.
This is the classic case of "throwing out the records" when the rivals meet Saturday, Michigan State limping into the game 4-5 after blowing a 28-3 lead against Illinois last weekend and Michigan surging after wins over No. 15 Notre Dame and Maryland before enjoying its second bye week of the year Nov. 9.
You can listen to the entirety of our interview on the podcast below.
