BY BARRY ALVAREZ
UW Director of Athletics
MADISON, Wis. — Going into the football team's Big Ten opener, I had my concerns.
I was concerned when you have to reshuffle your offensive line, when you have a field goal kicker who hasn't kicked one and when you're starting a freshman quarterback for the first time.
Although I wasn't as concerned about Alex Hornibrook.
Number one, he is a game-changer. He made some throws that not many quarterbacks can make. You sensed that poise from watching the first couple of games that he played.
His left-handed throwing motion reminds me of Kenny Stabler, the way the ball comes out and his delivery. He's much bigger but not as fast as Stabler, especially when Stabler was in college.
I just love his poise. Paul has talked about his presence in the huddle and how he gets along with everybody. The kids really respond to him. That's important as a quarterback.
I knew Michigan State was a physical team. But I felt our guys would compete. To be honest, I thought it was going to be a four-quarter game. I couldn't have been happier that it wasn't.
The thing I like the most about our players -- and it may be obvious -- is that they're certainly not intimidated. They don't go into a game thinking that they're not supposed to win. That's regardless of the name of the opponent that they're playing or the reputation that someone has. They go in with the attitude that if they execute, they can win.
That's really true of the defense. They've really come on. When you're playing defense like we are, you're always going to have a chance. You're always going to be in the game.
The corners are playing well. So are the linebackers. T.J. Watt and Vince Biegel are really a presence. They make themselves known on the field. I also like how physical our front is.
Every week, it seems, we lose someone to an injury and someone else fills the void. Brett Connors is a former walk-on that was backing up three positions on the O-line. He was asked to step in at center and he went against some really good players in his first Big Ten start.
I watched him early on and they ran some tough stunts that he had problems with, but he settled down. He was really solid after that. Michael Deiter moved to guard and he's a good football player. Tough guy. He's got the kind of attitude that you want on the line.
No one gave this group a chance to win at Michigan State -- except the players and the coaches who believed that they could.
Mark Dantonio has a heckuva program. Over the last few years, they've lost only a couple of times at home (21-2 since 2013).
I've heard Mark say it before that he was going to build his program on toughness and being sound. He wants to run the ball and they're going to be up under center more often than not.
They're a lot like us. They're not going to try and fool anybody.
To hold them without a touchdown was pretty impressive.
If you want to be one of the big boys, you've got to play the big boys and beat them. And we've been able to do that with wins over two top-10 teams already.
Michigan will offer another challenge.
I've gotten to know Jim Harbaugh through his brother-in-law, Tom Crean, and through Jim's dad. I know his dad really well. Jack Harbaugh is a great guy, one of the true gentlemen in our business.
I was still coaching when Jack brought his Western Kentucky team here to play in 2001.
As a person and a coach, Jim is very aggressive, very innovative and extremely competitive. He's always looking for an edge. He's a football junkie, a grinder.
Our current guys have never had an opportunity to play Michigan, especially in the Big House, since we haven't been there since 2010.
As a college football player, it's one of those experiences that you have to have. And I'm sure all of our guys are looking forward to playing there. Why wouldn't they? It should be exciting.
