With an upset within reach, Wisconsin can't limit miscues in 41-13 loss to No.4 Notre Dame

GREEN BAY, Wis. - The University of Wisconsin jogged into its locker room with the momentum, having delivered a largely dominant opening half that had those in Badgers red in attendance thinking the magic of Lambeau Field could rub off on the program once again.

Those daydreams all unraveled in a little more than six minutes.

After the Irish methodically marched down the field for a touchdown on the half's first possession, new transfer quarterback Colton Joseph's ill-advised throw to the outside resulted in a 55-yard pick-six interception. It was a rapid-fire sequence that allowed No.4 Notre Dame to gain the separation it needed for a 41-13 victory in front of 75,939 split crowd on Sunday night.

Primed to make a push to the College Football Playoff after being excluded last season, the Irish (1-0) flexed their muscle by outscoring the Badgers, 28-3, and outgaining them, 215-141, in the final 30 minutes.

While the Irish are pushing to make some noise in the College Football Playoffs, Wisconsin is simply trying to get back to respectability. UW began the season 16-21 in three full underachieving seasons under head coach Luke Fickell and has now lost eight straight road/neutral games.

But after an offseason that included a hefty boost in NIL funding and a roster with over 30 new transfer prospects, Wisconsin showed for a half that it could be on the right track.

Although trailing 13-10 at halftime, Wisconsin had the upper hand through most of the first half. The defense held the Irish to 4.2 yards per play, 1.8 yards per rush, and 0-6 on third down, the offense played relatively clean without a turnover, and special teams made two critical plays that led to all its points.

The only blemish was a muffed kickoff by sophomore Harrison Bortolotti that allowed Green Bay native James Flanigan to catch Notre Dame's only touchdown near the end of the first quarter.

The Badgers answer in a BIG WAY. We are tied at Lambeau! 👀

📺 Wisconsin vs. #4 Notre Dame on NBC & Peacock pic.twitter.com/loUnOD2rZp
— NBC Sports (@NBCSports) September 7, 2026

Wisconsin's stout defense began to wane in the second half. Quarterback C.J. Carr (19-for-29, 239 yards, 2 TDs, 0 INTs) had two throws of at least 20 yards in the third quarter after completing one in the first half, tailback Aneyas Williams (20 carries, 90 yards, 2 TDs) had Notre Dame's first 10+ yard rushes on the third and fifth play of the fourth quarter, and the Irish averaged 7.4 yards per play after halftime.

All the Badgers could muster on offense was a Gavin Halm 36-yard field goal to cap a 14-play drive, officially extinguishing UW's chances that first took a big hit after Joseph's rushed throw that turned into a 55-yard interception return and a 27-10 Notre Dame lead.

It was a moment more reminiscent of the 2021 meeting between the two schools at Soldier Field, when then UW quarterback Graham Mertz threw two pick-six interceptions in the fourth quarter of a 41-13 loss, than the 2016 season opener when the Badgers delivered a dramatic 16-14 victory over No.5 LSU at Lambeau Field.

That victory kicked off a season that included four wins over AP Top-12 teams, a trip to the conference title game, a Cotton Bowl victory, and a final No.9 AP ranking.

The Badgers don't have nearly as daunting a schedule 10 years later, which is good news for the program and their embattled head coach in what is amounting to a make-or-break season.

What it means: Wisconsin showed a lot of fight and responded aptly to adversity throughout the opening 30 minutes, a positive sign that the Badgers aren't going to cower against teams more talented than they are. The problem was the Irish' deep cupboard of talent and experience eventually wore down Wisconsin on both sides of the ball.

Star of the game: Punter Sean West averaged 45 yards on five punts, including a 70-yard punt with wicked spin that got the internet talking.

Stat of the game: Wisconsin's revamped run game with Iowa State tailback Abu Sama never delivered a big punch against an experienced defensive line coached by former UW assistant Charlie Partridge. Sama led UW in rushing with 49 yards on 15 carries, as the Badgers averaged 2.7 yards per rush on their 29 attempts.

Reason to be Concerned: All the new pieces on Wisconsin's offense roster need time to gel, and that includes Joseph, who will need to adjust to playing at a higher level of competition than he did at the Sun Belt. Joseph threw for no touchdowns and three interceptions at Indiana and never looked comfortable attacking the Irish out of the pistol formation.

Don’t overlook: Wisconsin added over 30 transfers to its program in the offseason, many with power-four conference playing and starting experience, but the first transfer to make an impact was former Division-3 edge Liam Diantz partially blocking a punt on Notre Dame's opening series. UW cashed in the short field with a 27-yard field goal to open the scoring.

What’s next: Wisconsin opens its home schedule under the Camp Randall lights when the Badgers host Western Illinois on Saturday. The Leathernecks already have two FCS games under their belt, including a 41-10 loss to Illinois State on September 5. Wisconsin is 3-0 against WIU by a total score of 102-26.

Kickoff will be at 6:15 p.m. CT and will be televised by the Big Ten Network.

Add us as a preferred source on Google