After sophomore quarterback Denard Robinson zipped through Connecticut’s defense all day, setting a single-game record for rushing yards by a Michigan quarterback, Robinson said that in a pile, the Huskies’ defense tried to take off his shoes.

Maybe that’s the only way Connecticut could have slowed him down. Robinson and the Wolverines ran through the Huskies and won their season opener, 30-10, before an NCAA-record 113,090 in attendance for the reopening of the renovated Michigan Stadium.

The quarterback, known as "Shoelace" for his tendency to keep his shoes untied, ran for 197 yards on 29 carries and a touchdown. He also completed 19 of 22 passes for 186 yards and a touchdown, accounting for more than 80 percent of the offense.

“UConn wasn’t ready to see a quarterback back there with 4.3 speed,” junior running back Mike Shaw said Monday. “As of Sept. 4 it was Denard’s show. I had no problem being the supporting cast if that’s what it takes to get a ‘W.’ ”

Connecticut coach Randy Edsall said Robinson fit the mold of the quarterback who Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez likes to run his spread. Robinson’s skill set is one that is unique to past Michigan teams lacked, and one that will bring a different flavor to this Saturday’s rivalry game against Notre Dame.

The Wolverines started the game strong and set the tone early. Michigan’s defense forced a quick three-and-out. Then, Robinson led a 14-play, 96-yard drive that lasted nearly six minutes and ended with a touchdown run by sophomore Vincent Smith.

With an experienced offensive line and talented players who can effectively run the ball, Michigan controlled the clock for much of the game. The team did falter toward the end of the first half, hanging on to a 21-10 lead at the break. But Michigan started the second half with a 19-play, 75-yard drive that lasted 8:05 and ended with a field goal.

When the Huskies responded with a lengthy drive of their own and a trip to the red zone, redshirt sophomore cornerback J.T. Floyd forced a fumble and gave the ball back to Michigan’s clock-mongering offense.

“When something went wrong, you didn’t see anybody hang their head,” junior tight end Kevin Koger said. “You didn’t see anybody droop. That was really big for us. We’re more mature this year, we know more of the offense.”

The Wolverines had the ball for nearly 14 more minutes than Connecticut. In the second half, the Huskies had just three possessions. The Huskies had nine possessions the entire game.

Keeping the ball away from a dangerous Fighting Irish offense this week could be crucial to a Wolverines’ win in week two — especially facing an explosive offense featuring junior wide receiver Malcolm Floyd and junior tight end Kyle Rudolph.

Entering the season opener, it was widely assumed that the defense would be an area of concern for Michigan. The Wolverines' strong running game helped that perceived weakness.

“(It’s) gotta help them,” running backs coach Fred Jackson said of the defense. “They’re not out there as many snaps. When you do that it helps tremendously because now they’re playing 40-50 snaps instead of 70 snaps. If we’ve got anything we need to improve on, it gives them a chance to just get collected and be able to be better as a unit.”

After the game, defensive players were going up to fifth-year senior offensive lineman Steve Schilling and thanking him for how well the offense played. Saturday, the defense had a chance to regroup, a luxury the unit wasn’t afforded during Rodriguez’s first two years at Michigan. Turnovers and short drives kept the Wolverines’ defense on the field a lot.

The Wolverines’ ability to convert 14 of 19 third downs and avoid penalties and turnovers, allowed the Michigan offense to get into a groove and continue drives — four of which were 75-yards or longer.

“The first two years you (saw) we had a lot of three-and-outs,” Koger said. “That was a big thing they were emphasizing this year — converting third downs. That was a key for us today, keeping our defense fresh.”

Not once did the Wolverines go three-and-out against Connecticut.

It helped that Michigan has the dangerous Robinson to employ on third downs. The Huskies defense was chasing Robinson in week one. Notre Dame’s 3-4 scheme, led by sophomore linebacker Manti Te’o, now faces that tall task.

Robinson carried the ball 29 times, and the Wolverines ran the ball a total of 61 times.