EAST LANSING, Mich. _ Remember all the talk about Wisconsin's daunting 2016 schedule?
The UW 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 UW'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.
Tenth-ranked UW 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 UW? 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.
UW's defense forced three turnovers, two of which resulted in touchdowns.
An interception by Sojourn Shelton in the second quarter led to UW's second touchdown and safety Leo Musso returned a fumble 66 yards to help UW take a 20-6 lead early in the third quarter.
Kicker Andrew Endicott, subbing for injured starter Rafael Gaglianone, missed an extra-point attempt but also drilled a 41-yard field-goal attempt to give UW a 23-6 lead.
UW's punt-coverage unit contributed by smothering punter Jake Hartbarger, who muffed a high snap, at the Spartans' 5 in the third quarter.
Tailback Corey Clement (21 carries, 50 yards, two touchdowns), scored on the next play to help UW push its lead to 30-6 with 3 minutes 52 seconds left in the third quarter.
Game over.
UW's defense frustrated the Spartans all game.
Michigan State, which rushed 52 times for 260 yards (5.0-yard average) and three touchdowns in a 36-28 victory over 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.
UW was forced shuffle its offensive line because of injuries.
The staff gave redshirt sophomore Brett Connors his first college start, at center. Connors had developed into the top reserve at center, guard and tackle.
Redshirt sophomore Michael Deiter moved to left guard from center.
That meant redshirt sophomore Micah Kapoi, who had been playing through a foot injury suffered in the opener as the top reserve guard. Redshirt freshman Jon Dietzen likely would have gotten the start at left guard but he is battling a leg injury and missed his second consecutive game.
That didn't matter to a team that lost linebacker Chris Orr in Week 1 and cornerback Natrell Jamerson in Week 2 and had several key players battling injuries Saturday.
Chryst's team just keeps brushing off fallen bodies and dropping ranked foes.
The Spartans made the first big break of the game with 9:34 left in the opening quarter when defensive tackle Raequan Williams knocked the ball from Hornibrook's hand and tackle Kevin Williams made the recovery at the UW 47.
UW's defense missed a chance to get a third-down stop when Vince Biegel missed sacking quarterback Tyler O'Connor but the Badgers eventually held and Michigan State settled for a 48-yard field goal by Michael Geiger and a 3-0 lead with 8:03 left in the opening quarter.
Led by Hornibrook, the Badgers responded with a 16-play, 75-yard touchdown march that took 7:38 off the clock.
UW converted twice on fourth down _ thanks to runs of 5 and 2 yards by Alec Ingold _ and Hornibrook capped the drive with a 1-yard strike to tight end Eric Steffes with 25 seconds left in the quarter.
The Badgers defense came up with a huge turnover in the second quarter.
Michigan State faced third and 5 from its 31 when O'Connor dropped back to pass.
Linebacker T.J. Edwards blitzed and hit O'Connor hard and the ball appeared to flutter. Shelton, who had tight coverage on tight end Jamal Lyles near the right sideline, stepped in front of Lyles for an easy interception at the Spartans' 28 with 9:54 left in the half.
UW needed six plays to reach the end zone, on a 1-yard run by Clement with 7:14 left.
The lead stayed at 13-3 when Endicott missed the conversion attempt to the right.
Michigan State added a 40-yard field goal by Geiger to cut the deficit to 13-6 with 1:18 left in the half and the Badgers squandered a potential scoring chance with curious clock management.
Dare Ogunbowale (nine carries, 55 yards) carried on three consecutive plays, for a total of 28 yards, to move the ball from the UW 18 to the 42.
UW did not take a timeout, though the clock stopped with 27 seconds left for a Michigan State injury.
The Badgers still elected to run a play rather than take a timeout.
After an incompletion, Hornibrook hit Jazz Peavy (four catches, 96 yards) for 17 yards to the Michigan State 37.
That left UW with eight seconds left and the Badgers used their first timeout.
Then after Hornibrook tried to scramble but was tackled for no gain UW called its second timeout, with just one second left.
UW first lined up for a 55-yard field-goal attempt but Chryst changed his mind.
The Badgers sent three wide receivers deep down the right side but Hornibrook threw short to Robert Wheelwright and the pass was intercepted by cornerback Darian Hicks to end the half.
No problem.
After the UW offense went three and out and Michigan State took over at midfield, Justin Wilcox's unit came up with another turnover.
This time, the defense produced a touchdown.
On second and 3 at the UW 43, tailback L.J. Scott took a handoff and gained a few yards before getting hammered by safety D'Cota Dixon, with linebacker Jack Cichy supporting.
The ball flew up into the air and was scooped up by Musso at the UW 34. The former Waunakee High School tailback headed toward the left sideline, used a nasty spin move to elude O'Connor at the Michigan State 40 and reached the end zone with Biegel blocking fullback Prescott Line just outside the Spartans' 5.
When Endicott hit the extra point, UW had a 20-6 lead with 13:10 left in the quarter and the crowd at Spartan Stadium was silent.
After UW's defense forced another punt, Hornibrook directed a 54-yard drive that ended with a 41-yard field goal by Endicott with 5:40 left.
Hornibrook dropped a gorgeous pass between two defenders into the arms of Peavy for 31 yards to the Michigan State 30 on third and 8.
Although the drive stalled, three plays later, Endicott's made his first field-goal attempt in college to give UW a 17-point cushion.
Michigan State continued to crumble under the pressure and UW continued to pounce.
The Spartans lined up to punt after gaining nothing on three plays. The snap was high but Hartbarger got his hands on the ball but dropped it. He was covered up by several UW players at the 5 with 3:58 left.
Clement swept around left end on the next play and scored untouched. When Endicott added the extra point the lead was 30-6.
That daunting schedule, which still includes games against Michigan and No. 2 Ohio State, might not be so daunting after all.
