BLOOMINGTON, Ind. _ Wisconsin coach Paul Chryst is fond of noting that his football team is at its best when it gets contributions from up and down the roster.
Saturday was such a day as No. 9 UW had to rely on its offense, defense and special teams to overcome an early double-digit deficit to roll to a 45-17 victory over Indiana.
Freshman tailback Jonathan Taylor, who missed more than half of the previous game with an apparent ankle injury, rushed 29 times for 183 yards and a touchdown.
Quarterback Alex Hornibrook overcame an interception in the end zone on UW's first drive to hit several critical throws and finished 13 of 20 for 158 yards and two touchdowns.
Reserve safety Joe Ferguson intercepted two passes, both of which led to touchdowns.
Reserve outside linebacker Tyler Johnson forced one fumble and pressured Indiana quarterback Richard Lagow into one of his two interceptions.
Fullback Alec Ingold scored three times _ on an 18-yard reception and a pair of 1-yard runs _ all after Indiana turnovers.
UW scored 28 points off Indiana turnovers _ two interceptions, one fumble and one on downs.
UW (9-0, 6-0 Big Ten) joined the 1998 and 2004 teams by improving to 9-0 overall.
The '98 team lost its 10th game _ a 27-10 decision at Michigan _ but won a share of the Big Ten title with a 7-1 mark and then upset UCLA in the Rose Bowl to finish 11-1.
The '04 team lost its final three games _ at Michigan State, at Iowa and to Georgia in the Outback Bowl.
UW also extended its winning streak to 10 games, dating to the 2017 Cotton Bowl. That is the No. 3 mark in program history. UW won 14 consecutive games (Sept. 30, 2006, to Sept. 29, 2007) and 11 consecutive games (Oct. 2, 1999, to Sept. 16, 2000).
Indiana (3-6, 0-6) remained winless in Big Ten play.
The victory came at price, however.
UW lost linebacker Chris Orr (left leg) and wide receiver Quintez Cephus (right leg). Cephus had two catches for 24 yards. He gave UW the lead for good at 14-10 with an 8-yard touchdown catch with 6 minutes 21 seconds left in the first half.
UW drove from its 22 to the Indiana 5 _ on eight running plays. After Garrett Groshek lost a yard on second and goal from the 5, Hornibrook was drilled from behind as he tried to throw.
Linebacker Tegray Scales intercepted the pass in the end zone with 8:06 left in the quarter for a touchback.
The Hoosiers took advantage of the turnover and marched 80 yards for a touchdown.
On second-and-8 from the UW 23, tailback Devonte Williams circled out of the backfield toward the left sideline.
Cornerback Dontye Carriere-Williams was on that side of the formation but followed a receiver across the field to the middle. That left Williams wide open for a 23-yard touchdown with 3:57 left in the quarter.
Indiana, which leads the nation in forcing three-and-outs at 6.8 per game, forced UW to punt after three plays.
The Hoosiers took over at their 33 and marched to the UW 8 before Griffin Oakes hit a 26-yard field goal for a 10-0 lead with 14:11 left in the half.
UW's offense needed to show something on its next possession.
Led by Hornibrook, the Badgers drove 73 yards for a critical touchdown, on seven plays.
Hornibrook found A.J. Taylor for 32 yards to the Indiana 39 on the third play of the drive, on third-and-8.
Three plays later, he converted on third-and-5 with a 16-yard pass to Cephus to the 18.
Hornibrook then executed a play-action fake to Bradrick Shaw and hit Ingold for an 18-yard touchdown with 10:28 left in the half to help cut the deficit to 10-7.
With UW still trailing by three, the defense came up with its biggest play of the half.
Johnson stripped the ball from Indiana tailback Morgan Ellison and Ferguson fell on the ball at the Indiana 21.
The officials initially called Ellison down but the replay official overturned the call. Indiana coach Tom Allen argued vehemently and the Hoosiers were penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct
That put the ball at the 11 after Jonathan Taylor gained 3 yards on first down, Hornibrook stood in the pocket and delivered a strike to Cephus for an 8-yard touchdown to help UW take a 14-10 lead with 6:21 left in the half.
Hornibrook was drilled in the back by defensive end Robert McCray III but still put the ball just over the shoulder of Indiana's Tony Fields and into the arms of Cephus.
UW opened the second half with a field-goal drive, but lost Cephus to an apparent ankle injury.
Cephus was blocking when a UW lineman accidentally rolled up the back of the sophomore wide receiver's leg. Cephus was examined on the field and helped off the field. He did not put any weight on his right foot.
UW's defense recorded a three-and-out, pushing the Hoosiers back to their 5 from the 17, and the Badgers took over at their 46 after a 49-yard punt.
Hornibrook had completions of 8 yards to A.J. Taylor and 14 to Kendric Pryor, the latter on third-and-2, to move the ball to the Indiana 32.
Jonathan Taylor scored on a jet sweep to the left on the next play to help UW take a 24-10 lead with 5:47 left in the quarter.
The 14-point lead didn't last long, in part because Zach Hintze sent the kickoff out of bounds.
That allowed Indiana to start its drive from the 35 and the Lagow completed 3 of 4 passes for 60 yards on the drive. He capped the drive with a 17-yard touchdown pass to Simmie Cobbs Jr., who beat cornerback Nick Nelson with 4:12 left.
UW moved from its 38 to the Indiana 36 but the Badgers eventually had to punt and Allen pinned the Hoosiers at their 10 with 14:48 left with a 30-yard pooch punt.
Allen's execution, coupled with a holding call on Indiana and another stand by the defense, allowed UW to take a 31-17 lead.
Indiana faced second-and-20 from its 11 when Johnson came free on a stunt and drilled Lagow as he was throwing over the middle.
Ferguson, filling in for starter D'Cota Dixon, intercepted the pass at the Indiana 27.
UW needed seven plays to reach the end zone, with Ingold gaining 2 yards to the 1 on fourth-and-1 and scoring on the next play, with 10:15 left.
Shaw added a 1-yard touchdown run after the Hoosiers turned the ball over on downs at their 16.
Style points? UW didn't earn any early. But the Badgers didn't flinch after falling behind early and did what they've said they need to do: just win.
