Luke Fickell has a few big calls to make before Wisconsin lines up against Notre Dame on Sunday night, and the answers could shape far more than just one game at Lambeau Field.
The most obvious one sits on the right side of the offensive line. If starting right guard Emerson Mandell and starting right tackle Kevin Heywood are cleared, but not fully healthy, does Fickell put them out there?
It’s not a simple yes-or-no decision. Wisconsin needs those linemen healthy over the long haul, not just for the opener, and Fickell has already made clear that the staff has to keep the bigger picture in mind.
At the same time, both players have been practicing this week, which makes their status one of the main things to watch when the Badgers come out for warmups.
Defensively, Wisconsin’s offseason emphasis on man coverage now gets its first major test. Mike Tressel’s unit still leans zone-heavy, but the Badgers spent the offseason trying to get better at matching up one-on-one so they can vary what they show in the secondary. After almost completely overhauling the cornerback room, Wisconsin believes it has made real progress there.
That improvement will be stressed immediately by a Notre Dame passing game that looks loaded. CJ Carr enters as a Heisman-favorite quarterback, and he has plenty of help around him in Jordan Faison, Jaden Greathouse and several other promising transfers. Wisconsin will probably change coverages often to keep Carr guessing, but how much it trusts its corners in straight man coverage will reveal a lot about where the secondary really stands.
There’s also the pressure question. Wisconsin would love to rush four, drop seven and force the Irish to work against a crowded coverage shell while the Badgers create disruption up front.
The problem is that the edge rush may not be strong enough to consistently bother Carr. Notre Dame’s tackles are still more of a question than the interior of the line, but there’s reason to wonder whether Wisconsin can get home without help.
That leads to another key choice: how often do inside linebackers like Mason Posa and Jon Jon Kamara get sent after Carr? Will Wisconsin bring pressure from its reworked secondary?
Does Mike Tressel have a few exotic looks ready that the public hasn’t seen yet? Those answers could tell the story of how aggressive the Badgers are willing to be.
And then there’s Wisconsin’s own passing game. The receiver room remains unsettled, with no clear answer yet on who stands at the top.
Jeff Grimes can design the plays, but the targets on passing downs will show who the Badgers actually trust. Against Notre Dame’s secondary, which features arguably the best cornerback in the game in Leonard Moore, that becomes even more revealing.
Week 1 should start to settle that debate.
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Wisconsin May Need An Unexpected Answer Against Notre Dame Up Front
The first big question for Wisconsin this week is what the line will look like when it matters most against Notre Dame. The Badgers are already dealing with uncertainty around starting right guard Emerson Mandell and tackle Kevin Heywood, which puts extra attention on the next wave of players up front. In a game where the matchup in the trenches figures to shape everything, that kind of late-week uncertainty can quickly turn a familiar depth chart into a test of flexibility.
That is where a few less obvious names suddenly become worth watching. Blackmon, Cai Bates and Brock have been mentioned as players who could factor in if Wisconsin needs help on the offensive front, and the staffs view of them during fall camp has been consistently positive. Coaches have praised not just the way those players work, but the kind of character they bring, which matters even more when a game plan may need a quick adjustment before kickoff. [Read more 🡒]
Wisconsin's Week 1 Prep Just Got More Complicated With Notre Dame
Notre Dames first injury report for its Week 1 matchup with Wisconsin immediately added another layer to an already interesting opener. Linebacker Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa is listed as questionable while he continues recovering from an ACL injury, leaving the Badgers to prepare without knowing whether one of the Irishs most important front-seven pieces will be available.
The report also ruled out several other players, including wide receiver Quincy Porter and offensive linemen Matty Augustine and Charles Jagusah, which only adds to the uncertainty on Notre Dames side. For Wisconsin, that means the opening-game prep now comes with a little more guesswork than usual, especially with both teams still sorting out exactly who will be ready when kickoff arrives. [Read more 🡒]
Wisconsin Heads Into Notre Dame With Key Lineup Questions Up Front
The lead-up to Wisconsins Week 1 trip to Notre Dame has been marked by a familiar sort of preseason uncertainty up front, with the Badgers still sorting through their offensive line health as game week closes in. Kevin Heywood and Emerson Mandell are both questionable, and Mandell appears headed for a game-time decision, leaving the staff to weigh how much continuity it can count on when the matchup gets real.
Jaylon Domingeaux is also listed as questionable, adding another layer to an offense that could already be leaning on some early-season adjustments. For a Wisconsin team trying to get settled against a high-profile opponent right out of the gate, the availability of a few key pieces may end up shaping not just the starting lineup, but the way the Badgers manage their entire receiver rotation. [Read more 🡒]