UW's Alex Hornibrook named Big Ten offensive player of the week

MADISON – Big Ten officials noticed Alex Hornibrook’s record-setting performance Saturday in Wisconsin’s 40-6 victory at BYU.

The redshirt sophomore, making his 12th college start, set a program record for completion percentage in a single game by completing 18 of 19 attempts (94.7%).

As a result, Hornibrook on Monday was named the Big Ten offensive player of the week.

UW (3-0) is off this week and opens Big Ten play at 11 a.m. Sept. 30 against visiting Northwestern (2-1). ABC is set to televise the game. 

Hornibrook completed his first four attempts at BYU, saw his fifth fall incomplete when freshman wide receiver Danny Davis was unable to control a high ball, and then hit his final 14 attempts. 

He finished with 256 passing yards and four touchdowns, both college highs. 

The completion rate broke the program record of 94.4% set by Darrell Bevell, who completed 17 of 18 attempts in a 53-14 victory over Northwestern in 1993. 

According to UW officials, only two FBS quarterbacks since 2000 have completed at least 94% of their attempts on the road.

Hornibrook is the second. The first was Russell Wilson, who hit 16 of 17 attempts (94.1%) for 178 yards and four touchdowns in UW’s 42-13 over Minnesota in 2011.

“It’s pretty cool I guess,” Hornibrook said after being told he set the program mark for completion percentage. “But obviously we had some great plays that our receivers made … and just our whole offense was clicking and it just felt good out there.

"It was just confidence in our game plan and our coaches gave us a great chance to be successful.

“We had a pretty good idea of what we were going to get so it was just trusting that and making plays.”

Hornibrook was flawless on third down by completing 8 of 8 attempts for 114 yards and three touchdowns.

Hornibrook connected with Quintez Cephus for a 9-yard touchdown on third and 5, A.J. Taylor for an 18-yard score on third and 8 and tight end Troy Fumagalli for a 19-yard touchdown on third and 18.

“(Hornibrook) was very accurate and calm under pressure,” BYU linebacker Butch Pau’u said. “I felt like our defensive ends and our defensive tackles got a lot of pressure on him but he remained calm and everything was on time. 

“I don’t know if it was a timing thing for them or if we didn’t get enough pressure, but he is a very good quarterback.”