Notre Dame’s defense gets the first shot at setting the tone for 2026, and the assignment is a tricky one right out of the gate. Wisconsin isn’t rolling out the same offense that struggled in 2025. The Badgers went heavy into the portal, and the biggest change is the arrival of Old Dominion quarterback Colton Joseph.
That matters because Joseph changes what Wisconsin can ask of its offense. Over the last two seasons, Wisconsin quarterbacks combined for just 155 rushing yards.
Joseph cleared that number twice in 2025, including a 179-yard outing against Indiana. He was also the only player to top 100 rushing yards against the Hoosiers in the regular season.
That kind of mobility forces a defense to think differently, and Notre Dame defensive coordinator Chris Ash will need his group ready for that from the opening snap.
The Irish have four clear jobs if they want to open the season with a clean win.
First, they have to be ready for the wrinkles Wisconsin is sure to bring. This isn’t a full schematic makeover, but Joseph gives Jeff Grimes a very different quarterback to work with.
That means quarterback run schemes, scrambles, and adjustments to whatever new ideas Wisconsin has built into its run game. It also means the Badgers may lean on trick plays, double moves and other shot plays in an effort to steal chunk gains.
If Wisconsin has to string together long drives all night, it’s in trouble. Its path is to hit explosive plays and create mistakes.
Second, Notre Dame has to shut down the run. The numbers tell the story.
In Luke Fickell’s 37 games as head coach in Madison, Wisconsin has rushed for at least 150 yards 15 times, and it is 15-0 in those games. In the 22 games when the Badgers didn’t reach that mark, they are 1-21.
The lone win came in a game when Wisconsin rushed for 139 yards. That makes run defense the clearest swing point in the matchup, and Joseph only raises the stakes because his legs are part of the run game too.
Third, the Irish need to keep Joseph in the pocket. He’s not just a runner - he can throw it, too, with 2,624 passing yards and 9.0 yards per attempt last season.
But the pocket is where Notre Dame wants him living. Joseph is most dangerous when he can create with his legs, scramble into space and throw on the move.
If the Irish can strip away that mobility, they dramatically cut into Wisconsin’s offense.
That starts up front. Notre Dame needs pressure from the front four, with Boubacar Traore, Bryce Young, Keon Keeley and the edge players handling the Wisconsin tackles.
The interior has to collapse the pocket without losing gap discipline or opening scramble lanes. If the Irish can get home without blitzing, that gives the linebackers cleaner coverage drops and leaves another body available to deal with Joseph if he escapes.
Finally, Notre Dame has to stay disciplined. No free yards.
No penalties that extend drives. No busted assignments.
No sloppy tackling. If Ash’s defense plays fast and stays within the structure of the scheme, Wisconsin will have a hard time moving the ball with any consistency.
The talent edge is there for Notre Dame, but only if the Irish keep it clean. If they don’t, Joseph has the kind of game that can turn a comfortable opener into a much tighter fight.
In Other News...
Adon Shuler Showed Notre Dame Fans What Leadership Looks Like
Adon Shulers week already carried the kind of weight most college players never have to deal with. After announcing the death of his father, Don Shuler, the Notre Dame safety and two-time team captain spent time with family in New Jersey, then came back to campus and still took part in a scheduled media session. In a program that talks constantly about leadership, Shuler offered a reminder that it is often shown in the moments when it would be easiest to step away.
What made the scene resonate was the relationship behind it. Don Shuler was 47, and the article underscored how close father and son were, along with the life lessons Don passed along to his son. For Notre Dame, it was a glimpse of one of its captains carrying himself with poise in the middle of grief, and a quiet example of the standard teammates and fans tend to notice even when football is supposed to be the center of the conversation. [Read more 🡒]
CJ Carr Just Raised The Stakes For Notre Dames Receiver Room
CJ Carrs confidence in Notre Dames receiver room is starting to sound like more than standard offseason praise. The freshman quarterback singled out Mylan Graham, Micah Gilbert, Bubba Frazier and Elijah Burress as players who have earned his trust, pointing to their work ethic and their grasp of the offense as reasons he believes the group can matter this season.
For a team with championship aspirations, that kind of belief from the quarterback carries real weight. Notre Dame has spent plenty of time looking for its passing game to match the rest of the roster, and Carrs view suggests the Fighting Irish think the answer might already be in the building, with several young receivers positioned to help shape what the offense becomes next. [Read more 🡒]
Notre Dame Opens With A Test That Already Feels Like Playoff Football
Notre Dames first night under the lights arrives with a little extra edge, and not just because the opener is at Lambeau Field. Marcus Freemans team walks into a heavyweight matchup with Wisconsin, a game that already carries the feel of a September checkpoint for a program trying to prove it belongs in the playoff conversation after last seasons exclusion. The Irish will lean on quarterback CJ Carr as they try to establish themselves early against a veteran Wisconsin program that knows how to make a season-opening statement of its own.
Luke Fickell brings a familiar challenge for Freeman, given the two coaches long connection and the familiarity that comes with it. Wisconsins new look under center adds another layer to a matchup already loaded with intrigue, and Notre Dame has enough on its plate without wondering how the Badgers will use that quarterback situation to test them. For the Irish, the opener is less about easing into the year than answering a bigger question right away: whether this team is ready to play playoff-caliber football from the start. [Read more 🡒]