ANN ARBOR, Mich. • Connecticut tried everything to stop Denard Robinson, including ripping off his shoes.
Nothing worked.
Robinson accounted for 383 yards and two touchdowns in his first game as Michigan's starting quarterback, leading the Wolverines to a 30-10 win over UConn on Saturday at the bigger-than-ever Big House.
The player known as "Shoelace" because he doesn't lace up his cleats gave the Huskies fits.
"They were like, 'Take his shoe! Take his shoe!" Robinson recalled. "They took them off, one of the plays, when I ran and got a first down.
"They were trying to slow me down, I guess."
Robinson ran for 197 yards — setting a school record for a QB — and a TD. He was 19 of 22 passing for 186 yards and a score.
"Denard Robinson's going to make people look bad," UConn coach Randy Edsall said.
The Wolverines and embattled coach Rich Rodriguez desperately needed a victory to start his third season in Ann Arbor. Michigan lost 16 games in his first two seasons with college football's winningest team and violated major NCAA rules for the first time in program history.
"We've been through a lot," Rodriguez said. "This is just a win, but I'm going to let our guys enjoy it. I told our players, 'We've got a huge game next week, we have to keep the same focus we had the last four weeks.'"
Michigan plays at Notre Dame, which won its opener, on Saturday.
The Wolverines' opener could not have gone much better as they dominated an experienced UConn team considered a contender in the Big East.
The Huskies trailed by 21 early and had a chance to pull within a TD late in the third quarter, but USC transfer D.J. Shoemate took a shot from J.T. Floyd and fumbled and Obi Ezeh recovered at the Michigan 3.
"That was huge," Rodriguez said.
The crowd was too.
A football attendance record of 113,090 was set at the new-look Michigan Stadium, which now has towering structures along both sidelines with luxury boxes and club seats that are part of a $226 million renovation. The previous mark was 112,118 — also at Michigan Stadium — in 2003, the last time the Wolverines beat rival Ohio State.
