Two days later, Wolverines still rave about Denard Robinson's debut in Michigan football team's season opener against UConn

Denard Robinson jogs off the field Saturday after turning in a career performance in his starting debut against UConn.

AnnArbor.com file photo

Rich Rodriguez wishes the secret he kept throughout the preseason remained under wraps headed into Saturday’s game against Notre Dame.

“Come on, ask me what you did last week,” the Michigan football coach said Monday, pleading for more questions about his three-way quarterback race. “Ask me if he is going to play. ‘Is he going to be the starter? Has he improved on his passing?’”

Consider them asked and answered.

Denard Robinson made sure of that Saturday against UConn with a breakout performance that made the queries seem like they were relevant last year, and not last week.

By now, tales of his extraordinary speed (197 yards rushing) and accuracy (19-of-22 passing) have captured the attention of college football across the country.

On Sunday, Robinson was named the national Player Of The Week and Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week. Next for Robinson and Michigan is a 3:30 p.m. game Saturday at Notre Dame, which beat Purdue, 23-12, in its opener.

Even for Rodriguez, who had watched Robinson pull away from Devin Gardner and Tate Forcier during the spring and summer, the instant success was something off a script.

“His composure and, I guess, his vision of the field and what was happening was as good as we could have hoped,” Rodriguez said. “He ran hard, ran north and south. But I was really pleased with the way … He commanded the game from his position, which is something you very rarely see a first-time starter ever do.”

Making his first career start, Robinson, a sophomore, led the Wolverines to touchdowns on three of their first four drives. On several of his lengthy runs, the Huskies couldn’t even get a hand on him, much less tackle him.

Apparently, they’re not the only ones facing that frustration.

“I told Denard Friday night at the hotel that I was so excited to see someone else have to chase him, someone else have to try to contain him in the pocket,” said Michigan defensive end Ryan Van Bergen, accustomed to those duties in practice.

For all the highlights of Robinson turning UConn’s defense to tatters, his speed was well known - he ranked as the team’s third-leading rusher last year with 409 yards, five touchdowns and 5.1 yards per carry - and has repeatedly contended for the fastest Wolverine title.

Based on his previous experience, people who didn’t see his maturation behind the closed doors of Schembechler Hall wondered if he could become multidimensional.

In 2009, he completed 14 of 31 passes and threw four interceptions. Once he had a chance to analyze opposing defenses more with his coaches in the off-season, everything clicked.

“Man, I was just going to watch film trying to learn,” Robinson said. “I’m eager to learn and open to learning.”

After Saturday, it’s now his opponents’ turn.

Pete Bigelow can be reached at (734) 623-2556 or emailed at petebigelow@annarbor.com. Follow him on Twitter @PeterCBigelow.