Wisconsin got one last look in the mirror on Tuesday before the season opener, and the message coming out of the final media availability was pretty clear: the Badgers are eager to see how far they’ve come.
That idea came through most directly from Matt Jung, who framed the matchup as a chance to measure progress against a top-tier opponent in a special setting. Asked about playing at Lambeau Field as an in-state kid, Jung called it “super exciting” and said, "It's super exciting to be able to go into the environment of Lambeau Field, and play a top five opponent in the country. There's no better way to test where we are and see how we have closed the gap since where we were last year," Jung said.
Jung also talked about what the stage means to him personally. Growing up, he said, the goal is to play at Camp Randall Stadium and Lambeau Field. He added that some of his favorite Packers were Aaron Rodgers, Davante Adams and Jordy Nelson.
From a football standpoint, Jung pointed to the value of having veterans like himself and Marvin Burks in the back of the defense. In his view, that experience can help with preparation, communication and disguises on both sides of the ball. He also had plenty of praise for CJ Carr, calling him a Heisman hopeful level player and noting his smarts.
The confidence level inside the locker room wasn’t hard to miss from the quarterback position, either. Joseph said that he and the team "have the confidence (we) can compete with anybody."
He also gave Notre Dame credit, describing the Irish as very fast and a really good, tough opponent. On Wisconsin’s side, Joseph made sure to speak highly of the tight ends, saying they are 'all absolute dawgs."
Cooper Catalano echoed the excitement around the setting, especially with his own Packers fandom in the mix. He said, "This is a super cool opportunity, obviously for me being a Packers fan, but also our team.
You know, you look back at that 2016 team that upset LSU. Same situation, playing at Lambeau, I think we have a great opportunity to kickstart the
year in doing that, and just excited to see what the team can do on Sunday."
Catalano also had strong words for CJ Carr, calling him a great quarterback and saying he has played a lot of good ball in his career so far. Defensively, he said one of the biggest keys will be communication, both before and after the snap.
Abu Sama, speaking one on one, came across as someone who feels very much at home in the program. He said he has learned a great deal from Jayden Everett, praising him not just as a coach but as a person.
Sama said, "Man, I can't. I don't even know how to describe it, but I would say, first of all, he's an amazing man.
Not only has he been an amazing coach. He's taught me so much about, you know, just being a man, and, yeah, I've learned so much being here: protections, reading the defense, even getting better on my runs, not always bouncing things.
Yeah, he's taught me so much and I cannot wait to just showcase his teachings to everybody else. And yeah, I just, I really appreciate my coach."
Sama also gave Notre Dame plenty of respect on the defensive side, calling the Irish an amazing defense with a really good D-line, linebackers and secondary. Still, he said the key for Wisconsin will be winning the one-on-one battles. He noted that Notre Dame plays a lot of man coverage and said the Badgers need to believe in themselves too.
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