Jeff Potrykus

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Madison – Wisconsin head football coach Paul Chryst can’t predict whether kicker Rafael Gaglianone will be healthy to play this week when No. 8 Wisconsin faces No. 5 Michigan on Saturday in Ann Arbor.

“No idea yet,” Chryst said Monday.

Gaglianone did not travel to Michigan State last week because of back pain that first affected him in the spring of 2015. However, on Monday he was listed as questionable on the team’s injury report, an improvement from the previous week.

Michigan will be tough test for UW's stingy defense

The junior made 7 of 8 field-goal attempts through UW’s first three games, with the lone miss coming from 30 yards against Georgia State.

Senior Andrew Endicott, UW’s kickoff specialist in each of the last three seasons, replaced Gaglianone at Michigan State. He missed one of his four extra-point attempts but hit the ball solidly on his 41-yard field goal in the third quarter to give UW a 17-point lead en route to the 30-6 victory.

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“He had played in games,” Chryst said when asked about Endicott. “I wasn’t worried. I don’t think any of us were worried about that.

“I didn’t realize that those were the first points he had scored…That’s pretty cool. Yet what I really liked was he worked and was really good all week. So he did all the things to give himself the chance.

“Didn’t want to miss the extra point but came back. That you love. That’s playing the game.”

Brothers in arms: Reporters joke that Chryst is happiest when armed with a remote so he can study video for hours in the quiet of his office.

Redshirt freshman quarterback Alex Hornibrook quickly developed a similar rep so it is no surprise the two hit it off during the recruiting process, first when Chryst was at Pittsburgh and then after he took the UW job.

“I just kind of connected with him as a person, to be honest,” Hornibrook said. “He was kind of a laid back guy and he didn’t hype anything up.

“He didn’t try to sell anything. He just told you how it was and if you liked it, you liked it. I bought it."

Memories nice but irrelevant: Chryst was asked if he could recall UW’s last trip to Michigan.

He couldn’t initially.

The date was Nov. 20, 2010, and UW rushed 58 times for 357 yards and six touchdowns in a 48-28 victory. When wide receiver Isaac Anderson lost a fumble on a completion with 9 minutes, 45 seconds left in the third quarter, Chryst abandoned the air.

UW ran the ball on its final 31 plays -- including knee-downs on the final two plays of the game -- for 168 yards. UW scored on all four possessions, including three touchdowns.

“That was a good day,” Chryst said after being reminded of the specifics. “It means nothing this week.”

Dual honors: Hornibrook on Monday was named the Big Ten freshman of the week and redshirt junior outside linebacker T.J. Watt the Big Ten defensive player of the week.

Hornibrook made his first start last week and completed 16 of 26 passes for 195 yards, with one touchdown against the Spartans. Watt recorded 2½ sacks, 3½ tackles for a loss, six total tackles, two quarterback hurries and one pass breakup.