After a 41-13 loss to Notre Dame, Wisconsin heads into its matchup with Western Illinois needing more than just a win - it needs answers.
The Badgers were officially knocked to 0-1 after the defeat at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, where the game started with some early resistance before Notre Dame eventually showed why it has drawn so much preseason praise. Wisconsin made the opening half more competitive than many expected, but the second half belonged to the Fighting Irish, who ripped off a 70-yard scoring drive to open the break and then added scoring marches of 75 and 88 yards.
That’s the backdrop as Luke Fickell’s team tries to steady itself. Wisconsin was never supposed to stroll into Lambeau and take down Notre Dame after one active offseason in the transfer portal, but a convincing showing against Western Illinois would go a long way toward changing the conversation.
The first big question is whether this Wisconsin team can hold up for four quarters.
That has been a recurring issue during Fickell’s time in Madison. The Badgers have shown flashes of being able to hang with top teams, including strong wins over Illinois and Washington last season, but they’ve also had stretches where games slipped away against Oregon twice, Penn State, and Michigan. Some weeks Wisconsin looks dangerous; other weeks it looks vulnerable to almost anyone in the Big Ten.
The Notre Dame game fit that pattern. Wisconsin kept things manageable early, but once the second half arrived, the Irish took over. That kind of drop-off is exactly what the Badgers can’t afford in 2026.
The next question is whether the ground game can be a real weapon.
Against Notre Dame, Wisconsin managed only 2.2 yards per carry, and its longest run was just eight yards. That was always going to be a tough assignment against one of the nation’s better defenses, but the Badgers need to show more against Western Illinois.
Last season’s offense was rough overall, and at times the run game was what kept it from getting worse. If that element disappears, the offense loses a dimension it can’t really spare.
The third issue is pressure on defense.
Fickell’s teams have spent much of his tenure near the bottom of the Big Ten in sacks, though Wisconsin did climb to 32 sacks in 2025. That progress matters, especially with the Badgers investing more resources, talent, and expertise into the program this offseason. There’s too much on that side of the ball to let things slide backward now.
Players like Cooper Catalano, Mason Posa, and Sebastian Cheeks give Wisconsin real talent to work with, and the response against Western Illinois should tell a lot about where this defense stands. After the loss to Notre Dame, the Badgers need this one to feel like a reset.
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Luke Fickell Finally Explained Wisconsins Second Half Collapse
Wisconsins Week 1 loss to Notre Dame left the Badgers with more questions than answers after a strong first half gave way to a flat finish. Luke Fickell addressed that collapse by pointing to something less visible than conditioning, saying the team was mentally and emotionally worn down as the game wore on, even as Notre Dame kept its intensity level high.
Fickell also noted that Wisconsins roster included a lot of new players, which made sustaining that early performance even more difficult in a demanding opener. For the Badgers, the explanation matters because it frames the loss as more than a simple physical fade, and it leaves the real test in how quickly they can absorb the lesson and show growth the next time they are in that spot. [Read more 🡒]
Wisconsins Front Seven Just Made The Badgers Biggest Defensive Debate Clear
For a defense that spent much of the first half looking organized and disruptive, Wisconsins snap counts from the Notre Dame loss offered a revealing snapshot of where the front seven stands right now. The Badgers were competitive early before the game slipped away in a 41-13 defeat, and the workload split along the front reflected both the trust the staff has in a few key pieces and the rotation it is still trying to sort out.
Sebastian Cheeks and Mason Posa emerged as the most noticeable positives, while Dillan Johnsons rough afternoon underscored how uneven the group can still be when the game wears on. The second-half drop-off made the discussion even more pointed, because Wisconsins biggest defensive question is no longer whether the front can flash - it is which combination can keep doing it for a full game. [Read more 🡒]
Wisconsin Fans Have A New Reason To Revisit The Dilin Jones Exit
Dilin Jones did not wait long to make his presence felt at LSU. The former Wisconsin redshirt sophomore running back, who transferred after a change of scenery in Baton Rouge, was handed the starting job right away and responded in his first game with 23 carries, 113 yards and two touchdowns. For Wisconsin fans, it is the kind of early flash that brings an old decision back into view, especially because Jones fit in the Badgers offense had already become a talking point before he left.
His style has looked like the kind that can thrive when the blocking is cleaner and the lane opens on time, which only sharpens the questions around what he was walking away from in Madison. Wisconsin has dealt with its own offensive line issues, and those struggles were part of the backdrop around Jones exit. Now the Badgers are watching him settle in quickly somewhere else, while the reason the split happened in the first place still hangs over the conversation. [Read more 🡒]