MADISON, Wis. — Alex Hornibrook threw three touchdown passes, Wisconsin forced four turnovers, and the No. 9 Badgers recovered from a slow start with a dominating second half to beat Utah State 59-10 on Friday night.

The victory marks the Badgers' 22nd-consecutive win in a home opener, dating back to 1996. UW has outscored opponents 253-23 in its last five opening games, an average of 46.0 per game.

Freshman Jonathan Taylor ran for 87 yards and his first career touchdown on nine carries in his debut. Tight end Troy Fumagalli caught the go-ahead touchdown early in the third quarter, and Zander Neuville and Quintez Cephus made highlight-reel scoring grabs.

Wisconsin outgained Utah State 251-43 in the Badgers' 28-point third quarter, rushing for 130 yards. Safety Joe Ferguson entertained the hardy fans who stayed for the fourth by returning an interception 99 yards for a score, the longest interception return in school history.

The Badgers asserted their dominance after struggling early. They trailed 10-0 late into the second quarter before taking off in the second half. Wisconsin required only 4 minutes and 52 seconds to score 24 points and turn the game around.

Utah State opened the game with a strong first quarter, but stalled after taking the early lead. Aggies quarterback Kent Myers finished with 25 of 41 for 219 yards with three picks. A Badgers fumble gave Utah State a turnover that the Aggies returned 13 yards. USU's LaJuan Hunt ran for a 12-yard touchdown two plays later to give the Aggies a 10-0 lead with 3:47 left in the quarter.

But the Badgers turned things around in the second quarter and never looked back. Wisconsin's defense held Utah State to 85 yards rushing.

Hornibrook threw for a career-high three touchdowns and 244 yards in his 10th career start, posting a pass efficiency rating of 197.4. Fumagalli set a career high with 105 receiving yards on five catches, including a 23-yard TD reception. Another 44-yard reception was the longest of his career.

Bradrick Shaw's 3-yard touchdown run with 1:12 left ended started the stretch of 59 unanswered points, 24 of which the Badgers scored off turnovers. Shaw, a sophomore, finished with 84 yards on 18 carries, while Chris James had 15 yards on five attempts.

Next up for Wisconsin, the Badgers stay home to host Florida Atlantic on Sept. 9. Kickoff is set for 11 a.m., with the game airing on BTN. Tickets are available by visiting UWBadgers.com/Tickets.
 

The AP contributed to this article.