PARK RIDGE, Ill. — Junior quarterback Devin Gardner of the University of Michigan football team was named Big Ten Co-Offensive Player of the Week for his four-touchdown performance in the 38-31 overtime victory last Saturday against Northwestern, the conference announced today (Monday, Nov. 12). Gardner shared the award with Wisconsin’s Montee Ball.

It marks Gardner’s first Big Ten Player of the Week honor. In his second career start at quarterback, filling in for injured senior quarterback Denard Robinson (Deerfield Beach, Fla./Deerfield Beach), Gardner completed 16-of-29 passes for 286 yards and two touchdowns while also compiling 47 yards and two touchdowns rushing. He set career highs in pass attempts, completions, yards, rushing yards and total yards (333). Down 31-28 with 18 seconds remaining, Gardner (Detroit, Mich./Inkster) completed a 53-yard pass to senior wide receiver Roy Roundtree (Trotwood, Ohio/Trotwood-Madison), setting up a game-tying field goal with two seconds left. In overtime, Gardner rushed for a one-yard touchdown for a 38-31 lead, the game’s final score.

In two games as starting quarterback, Gardner has completed 28 of 47 passes for 520 yards and four touchdowns with two interceptions. He has rushed 19 times for 68 yards and three touchdowns in wins over Minnesota and Northwestern. Prior to his two starts at quarterback, Gardner was one of the team’s top wideouts through the season’s first eight games, registering 16 catches for 266 yards and four touchdowns.

It marks the sixth weekly conference honor for the Wolverines this season. Robinson twice was named Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week (following victories over Air Force on Sept. 8 and Purdue Oct. 6), tight end Devin Funchess (Farmington Hills, Mich./Harrison) was named Freshman of the Week following the Air Force win and junior/sophomore linebacker Jake Ryan (Westlake, Ohio/St. Ignatius) was named Defensive Player of the Week following U-M’s 45-0 shutout of Illinois on Oct. 13. Senior/junior kicker Brendan Gibbons (West Palm Beach, Fla./Cardinal Newman) was named Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week following his game-winning field goal against Michigan State on Oct. 20.

No. 23 Michigan (7-3, 5-1 Big Ten) will host Iowa (4-6, 2-4 Big Ten) Saturday at Michigan Stadium in its final home game of 2012.

Kickoff is set for 12:01 p.m. and the game will be televised on ESPN.