Wisconsin had Notre Dame on the ropes for a half at Lambeau Field. Then the game turned in a hurry.
What looked like a real chance at an upset dissolved in a little more than six minutes Sunday night, when the No. 4 Irish opened the second half with a touchdown drive and then got a 55-yard pick-six off transfer quarterback Colton Joseph. From there, Notre Dame pulled away for a 41-13 win before 75,939 fans in a split crowd in Green Bay.
The loss was a familiar kind of gut punch for Wisconsin, which played well early but couldn’t survive the mistakes once the game got faster and sharper. Notre Dame finished by outscoring the Badgers 28-3 and outgaining them 215-141 after halftime.
For Wisconsin, the first half offered something real to build on. The Badgers went into the locker room down only 13-10, and for long stretches they controlled the tone.
The defense held Notre Dame to 4.2 yards per play, just 1.8 yards per rush, and a 0-for-6 mark on third down before halftime. The offense stayed clean with no turnovers.
Special teams also delivered two key moments that helped produce Wisconsin’s points.
The lone slip came on a muffed kickoff by sophomore Harrison Bortolotti, which set up Notre Dame’s only first-half touchdown. Green Bay native James Flanigan finished that drive with a catch near the end of the first quarter.
Wisconsin even had a moment that briefly swung the crowd fully into its corner, with the game tied after the Badgers answered in a big way. But the energy that had built through the opening 30 minutes didn’t last once Notre Dame settled in.
After halftime, C.J. Carr took control for the Irish, finishing 19-for-29 for 239 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions.
He completed one throw of at least 20 yards in the first half, then added two more in the third quarter alone. Aneyas Williams also started breaking through, finishing with 20 carries for 90 yards and two touchdowns while producing Notre Dame’s first 10-plus-yard runs of the game on the third and fifth plays of the fourth quarter.
As a team, the Irish averaged 7.4 yards per play after the break.
Wisconsin’s offense never recovered from Joseph’s costly throw to the outside, which turned into the 55-yard interception return and pushed Notre Dame ahead 27-10. The Badgers managed only a Gavin Halm 36-yard field goal after that, capping a 14-play drive but doing nothing to change the game’s direction.
The ending echoed a painful memory for Wisconsin more than it did a famous Lambeau moment. It felt closer to the 2021 game against Notre Dame at Soldier Field, when Graham Mertz threw two pick-sixes in a 41-13 loss, than to the Badgers’ 16-14 win over No. 5 LSU at Lambeau in 2016.
That 2016 result launched a season that included four wins over AP Top-12 teams, a conference title game appearance, a Cotton Bowl win and a No. 9 finish in the AP poll. Wisconsin isn’t facing a schedule nearly that difficult now, which matters for a program and a head coach under pressure in what has become a make-or-break season for Luke Fickell.
There were still some encouraging signs for the Badgers. They looked composed for much of the opening half and handled adversity better than they have in plenty of recent road and neutral-site games. But Notre Dame’s depth and experience eventually took over on both sides of the ball.
Sean West was a bright spot for Wisconsin, averaging 45 yards on five punts and uncorking a 70-yard punt with wicked spin that drew plenty of attention online. On the ground, the revamped run game never found a real punch against Notre Dame’s experienced defensive line coached by former Wisconsin assistant Charlie Partridge. Abu Sama led the Badgers with 49 yards on 15 carries, and Wisconsin finished at 2.7 yards per rush on 29 attempts.
The transfer-heavy roster also produced one early spark. Former Division-3 edge Liam Diantz partially blocked a punt on Notre Dame’s opening series, and Wisconsin turned the short field into a 27-yard field goal to get on the board first.
The schedule now shifts back home. Wisconsin opens its Camp Randall slate Saturday night against Western Illinois, with kickoff set for 6:15 p.m.
CT on Big Ten Network. The Leathernecks already have two FCS games behind them, including a 41-10 loss to Illinois State on September 5, and Wisconsin is 3-0 all-time against WIU by a combined 102-26.
In Other News...
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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 🡒]
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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 🡒]