Hornibrook flourishes on third down
UW quarterback says trust in receivers key
MADISON – Make sure you thoroughly understand the game plan, which has been designed to identify and attack the weak areas of the defense.
Remain calm.
Block out any miscues made on first and second down that have left the offense facing third down and a mile to go.
That, in a nutshell, is the approach Wisconsin quarterback
Alex Hornibrook tries to take when facing third-down situations.
“The biggest thing is knowing the game plan,” he said. “Coach Chryst gives us a great game plan every week. There are things we want to attack on third down (because) there’s usually some big tendencies on that down.
“So anticipating what the defense is in and knowing the game plan helps out a lot. “
UW, which opens the 2018 season
at 8 p.m. Friday against visiting Western Kentucky, led the Big Ten in third-down conversion rate last season at 48.6%. UW’s third-down conversion rate was just 40.8% in 2015, Paul Chryst’s first season as head coach, but improved to 44.1% in 2016.
Not surprisingly, UW’s scoring has improved as well – from 26.8 points per game in ’15 to 28.4 ppg in 2016 to 33.8 ppg last season.
Hornibrook’s biggest bugaboo last season was turnovers. He had 15 interceptions in 318 attempts, an average of one every 21.2 attempts. Most were the result of forcing the ball into coverage or of erratic footwork.
Yet his first season as the full-time starter reaffirmed Hornibrook’s penchant for being able to stare down pressure and make critical third-down plays week after week.
Hornibrook completed 65 of 117 attempts (55.6%) for 949 yards, an average of 14.5 yards per completion, on third down last season.
Fifty-five of the 65 completions (84.6%) resulted in first downs, with 11 completions resulting in touchdowns.
He was sacked 10 times on third down and threw six of his 15 interceptions.
Hornibrook converted at least four third-down plays with passes in nine of UW’s 14 games. That included five against Purdue, Maryland, Iowa and Miami in the Orange Bowl.
UW converted only 5 of 15 thirddown chances in a 24-10 victory over Michigan, but Hornibrook made several critical third-down throws to turn the tide in the Badgers’ favor. He finished 5 of 7 for 118 yards, with four first downs, on third down against the Wolverines. To review:
UW trailed Michigan, 10-7, with 4 minutes 59 seconds left in the third quarter and faced third and 13 from its 31 when Hornibrook found A.J. Taylor for 51 yards to the Wolverines’ 18.
Tailback Rachid Ibrahim came across the formation from right to left to cut down a blitzing linebacker. That allowed Hornibrook to step up into the pocket and fire a strike to Taylor.
UW scored three plays later, when Hornibrook turned a third-and-16 hole into a 24-yard TD pass to Taylor.
Left tackle Michael Deiter was able to push right end Rashan Gary up the field, which allowed Hornibrook time to survey the field.
Hornibrook saw the safety on the right side of the Michigan formation slide over to the middle of the field to help cover tight end Troy Fumagalli.
That left Taylor one-on-one on the left hash against his defender. Taylor worked inside and the ball was delivered on time and on target for an easy score.
Hornibrook’s next big third-down conversion came on UW’s next series.
One play after cornerback Brandon Watson broke up a pass to Danny Davis, Hornibrook went back to Davis on third and 8 from the UW 41.
Davis got a half-step lead on Watson just past the line of scrimmage and made a difficult catch for 27 yards to the Michigan 32.
The pass was perfect as the ball sailed over Watson before he was able to look back toward the line of scrimmage and before a safety could close from the middle of the field. Davis turned to look for the ball, pulled it in with his right arm and then fell hard on his back to the turf.
UW scored on the next play when Pryor scooted 32 yards on an endaround.
Hornibrook’s trust with his receiving options and his willingness to spread the ball around contributed to the thirddown success.
Four players had 10 or more thirddown receptions and at least 10 thirddown conversions.
Taylor and tight end Troy Fumagalli had 15 third-down receptions apiece. Fumagalli led the team in conversions with 13. Taylor and Quintez Cephus, who missed the final five games of the season after suffering a broken leg, had 11 conversions. Davis had receptions and 10 conversions.
Cephus, who faces two counts of sexual assault, has been suspended indefinitely. Davis has been suspended for the first two games because he purportedly took at least one photo of one of the alleged victims.
“Whenever anybody was on the field last year I trusted them to make a play,” said Hornibrook, adding wide receiver Kendrick Pryor to the list of candidates. “I never doubt any of them to make any play.”