Badgers football: Wisconsin offense excels on third down in early weeks of season

Wisconsin Badgers quarterback Alex Hornibrook (12) and wide receiver Quintez Cephus (87) celebrate their connection on a pass for a touchdown late in the second quarter of a game against the Brigham Young Cougars at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo, Utah, Saturday, Sept. 16, 2017. M.P. KING, STATE JOURNAL

Only one FBS team in the country, TCU, enters Week 5 of the college football season with a better third-down conversion rate than the University of Wisconsin.

Highlighted by a remarkable offensive performance at BYU on Sept. 16, where UW totaled nearly 500 yards of offense and converted 8 of its 12 third downs, the Badgers’ excellence in moving the chains when it matters most could be the major reason behind ranking 11th in total offense heading into their Big Ten slate, which begins Saturday against Northwestern.