Winners and Losers From Wisconsin's 36-9 Win Over Western Illinois

Wisconsin football didn't play the prettiest Week 2 game of all time, but it did what it needed to do to not let the Leathernecks spoil the 2026 home opener.

The Badgers have plenty to clean up, but before we get to that, Badgers On SI breaks down the winners and losers from a somewhat messy Wisconsin win:

WINNERS

Wisconsin Badgers safety Carson van Dinter. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

RB Abu Sama

He couldn't quite keep up his torrid pace from the beginning of the game when it only took him two carries to notch 103 yards, but Sama showed the explosiveness and big-play ability Wisconsin has lacked on the ground. He still dances around in the backfield a bit too much for my liking; I thought he turned down several solid gains to try to bounce a play to the perimeter, only to get stuffed. Nonetheless, Sama reminded us what he brings to the table tonight, and Wisconsin should continue to try to set the tone with him.

K Gavin Lahm

Lahm connected on field goals of 30, 49 and 50 yards, nailing each end every kick. Wisconsin finally might have a placekicker it can rely upon, and that'll be huge in any narrow, single-possession type game the Badgers play down the line this fall. There were questions about Lahm ahead of this season considering he didn't have a collegiate field goal attempt to his name, but he looks like a natural. He did shank an extra point after Chris Brooks Jr's 32-yard touchdown, but as long as he doesn't make that a habit, we can write that off for now.

S Carson Van Dinter

Behind Matt Jung and Marvin Burks Jr, both of whom look set to play quite a bit in the defensive backfield, it was fair to wonder when the Iowa State tranfer Van Dinter would get a chance to make an impact. Well, it didn't take him too long, even if it did come on special teams. The safety met up with Liam Danitz in the backfield to block a punt in the first quarter, and Van Dinter scooped it up and took it to the end zone. That should only help him earn more reps moving forward.

OLB Sebastian Cheeks

Checks didn't manage to record a sack like he did in Week 1, but Western Illinois' quarterback Kennedy McGill is fleet of foot and was quick to leave the pocket when he felt his tackles under siege. Still, you felt Cheeks' pressure all night. His speed off the edge is legit and his pass-rush has clearly taken another step this fall.

LB Thomas Heiberger

Heiberger got a bigger opportunity with Mason Posa a little dinged up all night, and he made a few standout plays. The linebacker got Wisconsin off the field with a beautiful rep in coverage, denying the Leathernecks on a 4th and 2 slant pass. He notched a TFL in the fourth quarter in which he truly flew into the backfield, his speed jumping off the screen. Heiberger developing into a reliably dangerous third, versatile option at linebacker would obviously be a great development.

LOSERS

Wisconsin Badgers quarterback Colton Joseph. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

QB Colton Joseph

Joseph's play was pretty concerning for large swaths of the game. He's making the right mental decisions, but his accuracy was far too erratic for a home game against an FCS team. He didn't get out of the pocket much, and he didn't get involved with his legs all that much either, both of which could be conducive to getting him in a rhythm. He did manage to settle in a bit in the second half, but that first-half accuracy was troublesome.

I was more concerned about Joseph's decision-making, but that part of his game looks just fine. It's the ball placement; a touch high, a touch behind, a touch late. The good news is, that's easier to clean up than if he was just mentally lost out there, but you'd certainly wish Joseph was a little further along as a passer at this point.

CB Eric Fletcher

I didn't love what I saw from Fletcher in the first half. On Western Illinois' third drive, when it finally started to move the football, one of the ways it did that was by targeting the Oklahoma State transfer. Wideout Jacob Kania had a really nice catch with Fletcher stride-for-stride in coverage, but the corner couldn't get his head around. A few plays later, he took a poor angle trying to undercut an out route, leading to a 20-yard catch and run from Kania.

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