Notre Dame didn’t exactly come out firing, but it finished like a team that knew how much better it was than Wisconsin.
The Irish spotted the Badgers a 3-0 lead, looked shaky early, and still walked away with a 41-13 win to open the season. The first half didn’t scream No. 5 team in the country, but the second half sure did. By the time it was over, the slow start mattered a lot less than the size of the final margin against a Big Ten opponent.
That opening stretch should not have been a total surprise. Wisconsin isn’t a directional state school, and this was never going to be a walkover.
Will Black, making his first start at left tackle, gave up a sack, CJ Carr got off to a sluggish start, and Aneyas Williams never found much room early before Nolan James came in after a few carries. Notre Dame’s first touchdown also came after a muffed punt gave it a short field, and even then the scoring drive covered only 13 yards.
The second quarter, though, was the part that raised eyebrows. A slow opening is one thing.
Letting it linger is another. With so many new faces in the mix, some adjustment time made sense, but Wisconsin kept matching Notre Dame’s intensity and was still hanging around at halftime.
One of the bigger issues was third down. With a quarterback who is in the Heisman conversation, that’s not supposed to be a problem, yet the Irish missed their first six chances.
That kind of stretch makes it hard to control a game, and it showed. The first third-down conversion didn’t come until the third quarter, and it led directly to a touchdown.
Notre Dame eventually finished 3-of-9, so there was at least some late improvement, but the early struggle was a real issue. The young receivers and backs didn’t exactly help smooth things out.
There was also concern about Brauntae Johnson, who left early in the first half and returned in the third quarter with a walking boot on his left leg. Johnson is viewed by many as an All-American-type player, so if he’s out for any length of time, that’s a problem.
Joey O’Brien, the former 5-star freshman, looks like the next man up after earning his role during spring and fall. It’s not the way anyone wanted to see him pushed into a bigger spot, but it may be coming fast.
The biggest takeaway from all of it is simple: Notre Dame cannot afford to start that slowly against a top team. If the Irish bring that first-half version against Miami, BYU or SMU, the result could look a lot different.
One game doesn’t define a season, but there’s a clear lesson here. The Irish have to put inferior teams away sooner and avoid the kind of uneasy stretch that left this one closer than it needed to be for a while.
In Other News...
Notre Dame May Be Catching A Huge Break Before Miami Showdown
Miamis defensive picture just got a little murkier heading into its meeting with Notre Dame, with coach Mario Cristobal saying cornerback OJ Frederique will be sidelined for an extended stretch after suffering a significant left shoulder injury against Stanford. Frederique had been a key piece for the Hurricanes, and junior Damari Brown has already stepped in and is expected to keep handling that role over the next few weeks.
For Notre Dame, the timing could hardly be better with the matchup looming. Any absence in the secondary matters when a game against a ranked opponent is on the horizon, and Miami now has to sort through that adjustment while trying to keep its coverage intact. The Fighting Irish still have work to do on their end, but this is the kind of break that can change the feel of a big early-season showdown. [Read more 🡒]
Leonard Moore Made Wisconsin Back Down From Its Pregame Talk
Leonard Moore came into Notre Dames game against Wisconsin with a lot of attention on his side of the field, and the Badgers seemed to take the hint. After pregame chatter from Luke Fickell that Wisconsin should not shy away from Moore, the game plan still leaned the other way, with the Badgers targeting the star defensive back only four times and finding limited success when they did.
Colton Joseph finished 19 of 30 for 217 yards with a touchdown, but Notre Dames defense still came away with the more memorable plays, including an interception returned for a score. Even with the passing numbers on the board, Wisconsins reluctance to test Moore said plenty about how the Irish cornerback is being viewed right now, and it left Fickells earlier challenge hanging in the background. [Read more 🡒]
Notre Dame Answered One Big Question While Another Suddenly Looms
Notre Dame left Lambeau Field with a convincing 41-13 win over Wisconsin, and the biggest takeaway was how the Irish took over after a tighter-than-expected first half. Notre Dame led 13-10 at halftime before rolling through the final two quarters, with CJ Carr throwing two touchdown passes and Aneyas Williams powering the ground game with 90 yards and two scores.
The defense also helped turn the game in Notre Dames favor, as Wisconsins two turnovers opened the door for Irish points. Even so, the broader mood coming out of the victory was not entirely celebratory, because Notre Dame lost two defensive players to injuries during the game, including preseason AP All-America second-team safety Brauntae Johnson and defensive lineman Jason Onye. [Read more 🡒]