U The Michigan Daily michigandaily.com I September 7, 2010
Sophomore Denard Robinson broke the single-game rushing record for a Michigan quarterback, running for 197 yards and a touchdown against UConn on Saturday. He also completed 19 of 22 passes for 186 yards.
Robinson flashes speed in
seasonopening Mwin
By TIM ROHAN 197 yards on 29 carries and a run his spread. Robinson's skill sophomore Vincent Smith.
Daily Sports Editor touchdown. He also completed set is one that is unique to past With an experienced offen-
19 of 22 passes for 186 yards Michigan teams lacked, and sive line and talented players
After sophomore quarter- and a touchdown, accounting one that will bring a different who can effectively run the
back Denard Robinson zipped for more than 80 percent of the flavor to this Saturday's rivalry ball, Michigan controlled the
through Connecticut's defense offense. game against Notre Dame. clock for much of the game.
all day, setting a single-game "UConn The Wolverines started the The team did falter toward the
record for rushing yards by a wasn't ready to , game strong and set the tone end of the first half, hanging
Michigan quarterback, Robin- see a quarter- early. Michigan's defense on to a 21-10 lead at the break.
son said that in a pile, the Hus- back back there forced a quick three-and- But Michigan started the sec-
kies' defense tried to take off with 4.3 speed," out. Then, Robinson led a ond half with a 19-play, 75-yard
his shoes. junior running 14-play, 96-yard drive drive that lasted 8:05 and ended
Maybe that's the only way back Mike Shaw that lasted nearly six with a field goal.
Connecticut could have slowed said Monday. "As minutes and ended When the Huskies respond-
him down. Robinson and the of Sept. 4 it wa with a touch- ed with a lengthy drive of their
Wolverines ran through the Denard's show. I had down run by own and a trip to the red zone,
Huskies and won their season no problem being the sup- redshirt sophomore cornerback
opener, 30-10, before an NCAA- porting cast if that's what J.T. Floyd forced a fumble and
record 113,090 in attendance it takes to get a'W."' gave the ball back to Michigan's
for the reopening of the reno- Connecticut coach clock-mongering offense.
vated Michigan Stadium. Randy Edsall said Rob- "When something went
The quarterback, known as inson fit the mold of the wrong, you didn't see any-
"Shoelace" for his tendency to quarterback who Michigan body hang their head,"
keep his shoes untied, ran for coach Rich Rodriguez likes to See ROBINSON, Page 8B
SAM WOLSON/Daily
Connecticut running back Jordan Todman is tackled by a host of Wolverines on Saturday.
Wolverines secure
win in the trenches
Players say "Bigger"
House is much louder
By JOE STAPLETON
Daily Sports Editor
Sensational sophomore Denard
Robinson, along with fellow sopho-
more Vincent Smith and junior
Michael Shaw, ran all over the hap-
less Connecticut defense during
Saturday's game, racking up almost
300 rushing yards.
But for every spectacular run -
and there were many - there was
a big, bulldozing offensive lineman
clearing the path. Sometimes it was
a sliver (which was all Robinson
or his running mates needed) and
sometimes it was so big all three
Wolverine quarterbacks could have
fit through it.
On defense, the extremely inex-
perienced secondary allowed a few
big plays but played reasonably well
overall. For what was undoubtedly
every Michigan fan's greatest worry
before the game, the young defen-
sive backfield held their own, barely
giving up any big plays and tackling
much better.
But behind almost every incom-
plete pass, there was a charging
defensive lineman ready to eat
Husky quarterback Zak Frazer as
a pre-dinner snack. Time and time
again, the linemen were pressuring
Frazer into rushing an off-balance
throw.
The game was filled with tremen-
dous plays for the Wolverines, but
none of them would have happened
if the men in the trenches hadn't
excelled like they did all game.
On the offensive line, it was senior
tackle and team captain Stephen
Schilling, as well as center David
Molk, paving the way for Robinson.
"One of our goals this week was to
play physical, so we came out and ran
See TRENCHES, Page 3B
By RYAN KARTJE know. But it was loud."
Daily Sports Editor The $226-million renovation
project included luxury boxes on the
Randy Edsall had heard all of the east and west sides of the stadium
rumors. and a new press box, among other
The Connecticut coach knew changes. Athletic Director David
that Michigan Stadium had been Brandon said this summer that the
declared "the quietest 100,000 fans finished towers - standing 85 feet
in America" on more than one occa- above the stadium's concourse -
sion, were expected to make the stadium
But after NOTEBOOK around 30 percentlouder.
Michigan's Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez
30-10 victory over Edsall's Huskies said earlier this week on his telecon-
on Saturday, a game that debuted ferencethatplayershadtoldhimlast
a newer and allegedly louder Big year - while the stadium was under
House, Edsall made sure to squash construction - that it was louder,
those rumors. but when the team scrimmaged last
"I'll tell you what, it was loud," week, it became much more obvious
Edsall said. "When people told me, that the sound would be noticeably
that we're coming to Michigan to different.
play, that's it's not loud, I don't know "It's a whole lot different," sopho-
what they were saying. Maybe it was more running back Vincent Smith
the new additions that they put on said on the field after the game. "It's
that kept the sound in there, I don't See BIGGER HOUSE, Page 3B
SAM WOLSON/Daly
Players on the Michigan football team celebrate after defeating UConn 30-10 in
front of an NCAA-record crowd of 113, 090 at the newly renovated Big House.
MISSED OPPORTUNITIES
U The Michigan men's soccer team had
plenty of chances to seal the game against
Drake on Friday, but failed - and failed - to
convert. Page 4B
The Daily sat down with Rich Rodriguez last
week. In his first SportsTuesday Column, Ryan
Kartje shares his opinion of the embattled
coach. Page 2B