Wisconsin/Michigan State review
I’m sorry I doubted you, Bucky. What a performance by Wisconsin yesterday. The offense played well behind redshirt freshman Alex Hornibrook, despite the fact that Wisconsin could not run the football. The Badgers ran for 122 yards, but only averaged three yards per carry. Hornibrook’s stats don’t wow you, as he threw for 195 yards and a touchdown, but was an incredible 9-of-12 on third down for 136 yards. The defense looked spectacular once again, forcing four turnovers and holding the vaunted Michigan State rushing attack to 75 yards on 27 attempts. As Ben Maller would say, this was an annihilation situation.
There were so many bright spots for the Badgers that it is tough to pick one as the headliner. But I will go with the freshman quarterback. Hornibrook looked good against Akron and Georgia State, but he made his first start in East Lansing against the No. 8 team in the country. Like I mentioned above, his stats were not eye-popping, but he was very effective. I told you his stats above, but I still cannot believe how great he looked on third down. It was not like he was put in a great down and distance all the time. He converted five 3rd-and-8+ plays. Jazz Peavy was his favorite target, as the wide receiver had four catches for 96 yards with three of those being a third down conversion. On one of Peavy’s receptions, Hornibrook threw one of the best passes I have seen all year in college football. With Wisconsin leading 20-6, the Badgers were faced with a 3rd-and-8 from their own 39. The freshman went back to pass and threw a beautiful pass down the right sideline to Peavy for 31 yards to move the ball to the Spartans 30. Wisconsin would kick a field goal on the drive to essentially put the game away.
Hornibrook also displayed an important characteristic in any good quarterback: mental toughness. On Wisconsin’s first drive of the game, he moved the Badgers to midfield, but was sacked by Michigan State’s Raequan Williams and fumbled. The Spartans would recover and Michigan State kicked a field goal following the turnover to put Sparty on the board first. But then the freshman showed resiliency in leading his team right down the field to give Bucky the lead, which would not be relinquished. Overall, it was a fantastic opening start for Hornibrook in a hostile environment against a tremendous defense. I know star linebacker Riley Bullough was out, but the freshman was dropping dimes. Bucky will be in very good hands with Hornibrook the next three and a half years.
There are not many things that need to be said that have not already been said about this defense. Whenever the Badgers needed the defense to make a play, the unit cane through. Wisconsin forced four turnovers and turned them into 14 points. They were also gift wrapped points as a Michigan State snap on a punt went through Jacob Hartbarger’s hands and the Badgers took over on the Spartans 5. The defense would make the biggest play of the game to give the turn the tide in Wisconsin’s favor early in the second half. On Michigan State’s final possession of the first half, Michael Geiger booted through a field goal to cut it to 13-6 going into halftime. Then, on the first possession of the second half, the Spartans defense forced the Badgers to go three-and-out and Wisconsin had to punt from deep in its own territory. The Spartans took over at midfield and Scott would rush for six yards on first down and would get the carry again on second down. He ran it for two yards before being hit by Wisconsin’s D’Cota Dixon and losing the ball. Safety Leo Musso picked up the loose ball for the Badgers at the 34 and ran down the left sideline near the Michigan State 40. Spartans quarterback Tyler O’Connor had an angle on him, but Musso spun past Sparty’s quarterback and ran the rest of the way for the score to give Bucky a 20-6 lead. Wisconsin would pour it on from there.
In addition to the four takeaways, Wisconsin shut down the Spartans running game, had four sacks and allowed just 325 yards to Michigan State’s offense. However, of those 325 yards, 153 of them came when the score was out of reach at 30-6. This defense has looked great so far and will be up to the challenge with Michigan and Ohio State in the next two games.
I was not expecting this type of domination. I thought Wisconsin could win the game, but I predicted a loss in the preview for this game. I did not know how Hornibrook would react going up against a tremendous Michigan State defense on the road. He was very poised and made tremendous throws to keep drives alive. Wisconsin will need more of the same the next month as this tough stretch continues.
