Hornibrook throws 4 TDs, Badgers roll
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Alex Hornibrook threw four touchdown passes, three of them to Danny Davis, and No. 6 Wisconsin capped off the winningest season in school history by topping No. 11 Miami 34-24 in the Orange Bowl on Saturday night.
Jonathan Taylor capped his recordsetting freshman season with 130 rushing yards on 26 carries for the Badgers (13-1), who rallied from an early 14-3 deficit. Taylor finished the year with an FBS freshman-record 1,977 yards.
A.J. Taylor also had a scoring catch for Wisconsin, and afterward mimicked ripping Miami’s “Turnover Chain” off the neck of teammate Kendric Pryor.
The Badgers dominated time of possession, holding the ball for nearly 40 minutes. Hornibrook completed 23 of 34 passes for 258 yards, going 20 of 25 in the final three quarters.
Travis Homer and Deejay Dallas had rushing scores for Miami (10-3), which was in the Orange Bowl for the 10th time and lost on its home field for the first time in eight games this season. Lawrence Cager had a touchdown catch for the Hurricanes, who are 6-4 in the Orange, and quarterback Malik Rosier was 11 of 26 passing for 203 yards with three interceptions.
The Hurricanes had a chance to get within a touchdown midway through the fourth quarter, but Michael Badgley’s chip-shot field goal went off the right upright. By the time Miami got the ball back, most of their fans were gone and only 1:37 remained. Rosier was picked off for the third time 18 seconds later, and the Badgers ran out the clock.
The Big Ten is 7-0 in bowls this season and its teams improved to 5-4 all-time in the Orange. Wisconsin became only the fifth team in conference history to win at least 13 games, joining Ohio State (14 in 2014), Michigan State (13 in 2013), Ohio State (14 in 2002) and Minnesota (13 in 1904).
Hornibrook threw touchdown passes on three consecutive possessions — two to Davis, one to A.J. Taylor — in the second quarter to reverse a 14-3 deficit, and the Badgers held the ball for more than 11 minutes in that quarter alone on the way to taking a 24-14 lead to halftime.