Michigan QB Denard Robinson injured knee in 1st quarter after long run against Bowling Green

Michigan’s Robinson injured knee vs Bowling Green

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Michigan lost its star quarterback early against Bowling Green and was hoping he avoided a serious knee injury.

Denard Robinson was hit near the sideline at the end of a 47-yard run Saturday and appeared to have his left knee evaluated by the team’s medical staff.

“Twisted his knee,” coach Rich Rodriguez said in a halftime interview on ESPN2. “He should be fine, we’ll check.”

In the fourth quarter, ESPN2 said Robinson had been cleared to play if necessary, but Michigan opened up a big second-half lead.

Robinson was smiling and wearing a headset on the sidelines during the second quarter. He slowly walked off the field at halftime on his own, but looked as if he was trying to keep some weight off his left leg.

His left knee was wrapped in the second half as he watched the game on the sideline with a baseball cap.

Robinson ran for 129 yards and two touchdowns on five carries and was 4 for 4 for 60 yards on two drives plus one play against the Falcons.

He was relieved by Devin Gardner on Michigan’s third possession against Bowling Green and the freshman threw a touchdown pass to put Michigan up 21-0. After the Falcons pulled within a TD, sophomore Tate Forcier made his season debut after starting every game last year and led the 21st-ranked Wolverines to a score and a 28-14 lead.

Forcier started the second half, too, but left the game midway through the fourth quarter with a 30-point lead after appearing to injure his left knee.

No one, though, wearing maize and blue can replace Robinson’s track-caliber speed, solid arm and sound decision-making.

In the first three games against Connecticut, Notre Dame and Massachusetts, Robinson threw for 671 yards and four TDs and ran for 559 yards and four TDs and had the No. 1, 2 and 10th-best games on offense in school history.

The player known as “Shoelace” because he doesn’t tie his shoes started this week leading the nation in rushing and total offense.