The Michigan Wolverines are back at practice with Devin Gardner preparing to start at quarterback and Shane Morris apparently getting the week off.

According to ESPN, Michigan head football coach Brady Hoke is taking responsibility for the sideline miscommunication last Saturday but will continue not wearing a headset. However, he did not comment on Michigan athletic director Dave Brandon's statement explaining what exactly happened during the game.

Hoke is trying to not let his team lose a third straight game after dropping two in row at home to unranked opponents. The Wolverines are going to New Jersey to play the 4-1 Rutgers Scarlet Knights.

"When you're a leader you have to take responsibility," Hoke told ESPN. "I take responsibility for our student-athletes, and I take it for their health and welfare."

The coach did reiterate his point from after the loss to Minnesota that he is not responsible for determining whether or not his players are healthy enough to stay in the game. Morris took a helmet-to-helmet hit in the fourth quarter of Saturday's game and shortly after needed help staying upright. Hoke said he saw Morris stumble, but did not see the hit.

Judging from Brandon's statement, no one on Hoke's staff saw the hit and all assumed Morris stumbled from an earlier ankle injury. When trainers tried to assist Morris off the field, the QB waved them off and he stayed in for one more play. Brandon confirmed Morris had suffered a concussion on that play.

Hoke and the Michigan athletic department may have a PR black eye that stemmed from the unfortunate miscommunication, but the players are still backing their coach, MLive.com reported.

"We understand that we play for each other, and that's what we're always going to do and nothing is going to get in the way of that," linebacker James Ross III told the website. "At the end of the day, it's about what we've got (in the locker room), and that's all we're going to focus on.

"We're all in. Everybody in here. We're all in. That's how it's going to be."

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