JJ Watt was right there with Wisconsin fans on Saturday night, and he had the same reaction just about everybody else did.
Notre Dame’s first-half touchdown came after a replay review that left plenty of viewers stunned, because what looked like a clear reversal instead stood. The Irish were awarded the ball at the 11-yard line, and from there the score was easy. For Wisconsin, it was a brutal sequence: a missed call, a review, and then an “upheld” ruling that had the TV crew and rules analyst Terry McAulay openly baffled.
The play came on Notre Dame’s kickoff after a 3-point conversion. Harrison Bortolotti muffed the catch, and the ball was recovered by Kahanu Kia - at least that was the original ruling.
But on review, Kia appeared to juggle the ball while rolling on the ground and never secure possession before his foot was clearly out of bounds. It looked like an obvious overturn.
Instead, officials said he recovered it in bounds.
McAulay was shocked by the decision, and Wisconsin fans erupted when Notre Dame cashed in four plays later. Watt jumped into the conversation with a simple, blunt post: "How could you possibly uphold that?!"
He added in the same post, "Instant Replay off to a ROUGH start in the college football world…"
How could you possibly uphold that?!
- JJ Watt (@JJWatt) September 7, 2026
Instant Replay off to a ROUGH start in the college football world…
How could you possibly uphold that?!
- JJ Watt (@JJWatt) September 7, 2026
Watt wasn’t alone. Social media lit up immediately, with plenty of fans and national voices piling on the call.
"College football officiating feels like corruption"
- Sir Yacht (@SirYacht_) September 7, 2026
"That’s INSANE. Every single person saw no control. What the fuck are we doing?!?!?"
- Big Cat (@BarstoolBigCat) September 7, 2026
"21 point favorites and need the refs to win"
- Ryan (@BrewPack8) September 7, 2026
"THIS IS ONE OF THE WORST CALLS YOU WILL EVER SEE BY COLLEGE FOOTBALL REFS.
99 OUT OF 100 TIMES, THIS IS CALLED OUT OF BOUNDS AND NOT A FUMBLE RECOVERY.
The refs screw Wisconsin and give Notre Dame a massive gift.
😳😳😳 pic.twitter.com/LN0fzJn14G https://t.co/I7GIZLWXuF"
- MLFootball (@MLFootball) September 7, 2026
"NBC rules analyst Terry McAulay is fed up. He correctly points out Notre Dame recovered the Wisconsin punt fumble out of bounds, but officials blow another call and gift Notre Dame points. (The personal foul call was also absurd.)"
- Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) September 7, 2026
The controversy felt even louder because it came on the heels of another rough replay situation in college football the day before. That’s why so many people treated this one like part of a bigger officiating mess, not just a single bad break.
Still, Wisconsin didn’t fold. The Badgers answered with a touchdown of their own, got back to 10-10, and then took a 13-10 lead into halftime. That mattered even more because Wisconsin entered the game as a 20.5-point underdog.
If Notre Dame ends up winning by a touchdown or less, this review is going to be one of the first things people point to all week. If Wisconsin pulls it out, the Badgers will have turned a wildly controversial moment into little more than a loud footnote.
In Other News...
Wisconsin Fans Are Still Trying To Process This Absurd Punt
Lambeau Field has seen plenty of memorable moments, but Sean Wests latest effort gave Wisconsin something its fans were still talking about long after the kick was over. The Badgers punter drilled a 69-yard punt that settled inside the 5-yard line, a rare blend of distance and precision that instantly caught the attention of broadcasters and everyone watching from the stands.
West, a junior from Mequon, had already built a reputation as a strong leg after averaging 47.7 yards per punt, but this one stood out even in that context. What made it so jaw-dropping was the hang time and the placement, with social media users and commentators alike treating it like one of the great punts they had ever seen, the kind of play that can linger in a fan base's memory as much as a touchdown. [Read more 🡒]
Wisconsins Opener Exposed An Offensive Depth Chart Question For Week 2
Wisconsins 2026 opener at Lambeau Field left the staff with more than a loss to sort through. The snap counts from the Notre Dame game offered a clear look at how the offense was deployed, from Joseph at quarterback to the mix of Abu Sama and Darrion Dupree in the backfield, plus contributions from Malachi Coleman, Chris Brooks Jr., Grant Stec and Emmett Bork as the Badgers tried to find answers in the passing game.
The bigger question now is how those roles will shift with Western Illinois next on the schedule and injuries already forcing some lineup juggling. Kevin Heywood and Colin Cubberly were among the linemen whose usage will matter again in Week 2, and Wisconsins coaching staff has to decide whether the opener was a one-game snapshot or the start of a deeper depth-chart conversation on offense. [Read more 🡒]
Wisconsins New Offensive Rotation May Have Changed Two Key Battles
Wisconsins opener against Notre Dame brought a look at an offense still sorting itself out, with nine new starters on that side of the ball and Colton Joseph handling every offensive snap at quarterback. The rotation at the skill spots and along the line offered an early snapshot of how the Badgers want to distribute work, from Abu Sama III and Darrion Dupree in the backfield to Chris Brooks Jr., Tyrell Henry and Malachi Coleman at receiver, while Grant Stec and Emmett Bork split time at tight end.
The bigger takeaway may be what the snap counts and PFF grades hinted at up front, where the offensive line settled into multiple combinations and the struggles at right guard stood out. For Wisconsin, the early season question is no longer just who starts, but which lineup can actually hold up when the competition tightens, and the first game already suggested a few of those battles are far from settled. [Read more 🡒]