Wisconsin spent one half looking like a team that could hang with a national title contender. Then the second half arrived, and the whole thing unraveled in a way that felt painfully familiar.
That’s the frustrating part for the Badgers after Sunday night’s loss to No. 4 Notre Dame.
There were signs of progress. There were also the same kinds of mistakes that have haunted Luke Fickell’s tenure, and those errors turned a competitive game into a lopsided finish.
The early stretch at least offered a few reasons to look twice at Wisconsin’s offense. Quarterback Colton Joseph was far from perfect, including a panicked pick-six, but he still cleared 200 passing yards.
That matters because Wisconsin only did that once last fall, when Danny O'Neil threw for 283 yards against Middle Tennessee State. Joseph has a lot to clean up, and the running game still leaves questions, but even a mediocre outing through the air from him points to a real step forward for the offense.
Coleman was another bright spot and maybe the clearest one. The former conensus top-60 recruit showed exactly why people were excited about him in the first place, finishing with four catches for 76 yards and a touchdown against what might be the best secondary in the country. He beat defensive backs, ran routes with real polish and looked every bit the 6-5, blazing-fast weapon Wisconsin has been waiting for.
But the Badgers also undercut themselves in the same old ways. Harrison Bortolotti’s muffed kickoff handed Notre Dame a short field and an easy touchdown, and the mistake was made worse by the fact that he was back there at all. On that same series, Wisconsin still had a shot to force a field goal after the turnover inside the red zone, only for Mason Posa to get flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct after tossing an Irish ball-carrier to the ground after the whistle.
Then came Joseph’s interception, another play that looked painfully close to some of the worst quarterback mistakes Wisconsin has absorbed in recent seasons. PJ Wilkins was beaten badly in protection, and Joseph threw the ball right to DJ McKinney.
The defense had its own problems once CJ Carr settled in. It took Carr a couple quarters to find his rhythm, but after that he repeatedly picked apart Wisconsin’s zone coverage. The Badgers stayed in zone far too often, and Carr kept finding the easy answers - short gains in the flat, open windows over the middle, receiver after receiver with space to work.
That approach was especially hard to understand given Wisconsin’s offseason emphasis on improving the secondary and adding more man coverage. Notre Dame had talent at receiver, sure, but the Badgers rarely challenged those wideouts one-on-one and instead sat in a zone look that never really held up.
The talent is there for this pass defense to be better. It just has to show it.
In Other News...
Wisconsin Fans Are Still Trying To Process This Absurd Punt
A punt at Lambeau Field usually blends into the background, but Sean West made sure this one did anything but. The Wisconsin junior from Mequon sent a 69-yard boot that dropped inside the 5-yard line, and the combination of distance, hang time and placement had broadcasters and fans scrambling to process what they had just watched.
West has already built a strong reputation as a reliable leg, entering the game with a 47.7-yard average, but this one turned into the kind of special-teams moment that lingers long after the whistle. Social media lit up with praise for the kick, and for Wisconsin, it was another reminder that even a single punt can become its own storyline when it is struck that cleanly. [Read more 🡒]
Wisconsins Opener Exposed An Offensive Depth Chart Question For Week 2
Wisconsin left Lambeau Field with an opening loss to Notre Dame, but the bigger takeaway for the offense might have been how the first depth chart actually held up once the game started. The snap counts told the story of a group still sorting itself out, from quarterback Joseph working behind a line that had to absorb early pressure to a rotation at running back and receiver that showed both the staffs trust and its uncertainty.
Abu Sama and Darrion Dupree shared work in the backfield, while Malachi Coleman and Chris Brooks Jr. were part of a receiver mix that offered some clues about who the Badgers want involved as the season goes on. Tight ends Grant Stec and Emmett Bork, along with linemen such as Kevin Heywood and Colin Cubberly, also factored into the evaluation as Wisconsin turns its attention to Western Illinois and tries to settle on the right combinations while dealing with injuries and other lineup adjustments. [Read more 🡒]
Wisconsins New Offensive Rotation May Have Changed Two Key Battles
Wisconsins offense looked a lot different against Notre Dame, and not just because of the opponent. The Badgers used nine new starters on that side of the ball, with Colton Joseph getting the nod at quarterback and handling every offensive snap, while the snap counts and Pro Football Focus grades offered a first look at how the reshuffled unit was deployed. It was the kind of opening-game rotation that can tell you a lot about where roles are headed, especially when it comes to the backfield, the receiver group and the tight end spots.
Abu Sama III and Darrion Dupree split the running back work, while Chris Brooks Jr., Tyrell Henry and Malachi Coleman all factored into the passing game plans at wide receiver. Grant Stec and Emmett Bork each had a part in the tight end rotation, and the offensive line mix brought its own questions, with right guard standing out as a spot that still needs sorting out. For Wisconsin, the numbers from that first test may have already nudged a couple of battles in one direction, even if the larger picture is still coming into focus. [Read more 🡒]