No. 10 Wisconsin crushes No. 8 Michigan State 30-6
EAST LANSING, Mich. — Remember all the talk about Wisconsin’s daunting 2016 schedule?
The Wisconsin players sure do, because they were asked about the gauntlet of facing five ranked teams at every turn, almost from the moment the schedule was released.
It appears the question should have been reversed.
How are all the ranked teams on Wisconsin's schedule going to handle Paul Chryst’s team?
The Badgers marched into Spartan Stadium wounded but confident and methodically dismantled No. 8 Michigan State 30-6 in the teams’ Big Ten opener Saturday.
The result left the sell-out crowd of 75,503 stunned and had to impress fans and analysts watching all over America.
“As far as people who doubted us or didn’t believe it,” Wisconsin senior cornerback Sojourn Shelton said, “it’s crazy because it’s no shock to us.
“We expected to come in here and to win this game. Our coaches tell us that. We put in the preparation, the work.…
“I think that is the difference from my other years. People aren’t going into game saying: ‘If this or if that happens we may win.’
“We expect to win. It doesn’t matter if it is a team like this, a team ranked eighth.
“If we can make plays we can put ourselves in good situations and we can win. That is what we did today.”
Three Michigan State players raise fists during national anthem
No. 10 Wisconsin improved its record to 1-0 in the Big Ten and 4-0 overall and has two victories over top-10 teams in the same season for just the fourth time in program history. The others came in 1954, ’59 and ‘62.
Next up for Wisconsin? A trip to No. 5 Michigan, which opened Big Ten play Saturday against visiting Penn State.
UW dominated Michigan State (2-1, 0-1) in all phases.
Redshirt freshman quarterback Alex Hornibrook, making his first college start, was magnificent.
Hornibrook lost a fumble and threw an interception on the final play of the half but made bit throws from start to finish.
He hit 16 of 26 attempts for 195 yards and a touchdown and was brilliant on third down. Hornibrook hit 9 of 12 passes for 136 yards, for six first downs, on the crucial down.
Wisconsin’s defense forced three turnovers, two of which resulted in touchdowns.
Michigan State, which rushed 52 times for 260 yards (5.0-yard average) and three touchdowns in a 36-28 victory against Notre Dame one week earlier, mustered 75 rushing yards and 325 total yards. The Badgers forced four turnovers, including three interceptions, and recorded four sacks.
Jeff Potrykus writes for The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, part of the USA TODAY NETWORK.
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