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Wisconsin showed early promise but unraveled in the second half, losing its season opener to No. 4 Notre Dame, 41-13, at Lambeau Field. The defeat highlighted both progress under coach Luke Fickell and the gaps that remain when facing elite opponents.
Turnovers shifted the game
The contest swung decisively in Notre Dame’s favor early in the third quarter. Two costly mistakes—an interception and a muffed kickoff—quickly turned momentum and set the tone for the rest of the night.
After a competitive first half, Wisconsin’s offense stalled on the opening drive of the second half. Under pressure, quarterback Colton Joseph released a pass before his target had completed the route; cornerback DJ McKinney jumped the route and returned the ball 55 yards for a score.
College kickers have taken home $2.2 million from Pat McAfee’s kicking contest this season
Wisconsin loses 41-13 to No. 4 Notre Dame at Lambeau Field
Earlier, a muffed kickoff by sophomore Hunter Bortollini handed the Irish the ball in prime position. Replays suggested the returner may not have been down before reaching the sideline, but officials ruled the recovery a fumble and Notre Dame turned it into points three plays later.
Joseph’s potential, and his risks
Fickell and his staff have made finding a stable starting quarterback a priority, and they entrusted that role to the former Old Dominion dual-threat. Joseph operated mostly from the shotgun, mixing short, safe throws with designed runs.
He connected on a 28-yard touchdown to Malachi Coleman in the second quarter that tied the game, flashing the playmaking ability Wisconsin hopes will lift its offense. But the interception and a history of turnovers carried over from Joseph’s ODU tenure—he threw the majority of his picks last season in his team’s losses—underscored a lingering vulnerability.
New arrivals produced mixed results
This offseason’s transfer influx was unmistakable. Wisconsin added 34 players through the portal—one of the largest classes in the Big Ten—and the two-deep sheet reflected a dramatically different roster.
Of the 22 listed starters on offense and defense, 10 were transfers, with another 11 former players providing depth. Notable additions included tailback Abu Sama (Iowa State) and several defensive backs: Javan Robinson (Arizona State), Bryce West (Ohio State) and Marvin Burks Jr. (Missouri).
Sama struggled against Notre Dame’s defensive front (15 carries for 49 yards), while Coleman stood out with four catches for 76 yards and the game’s lone touchdown. Wisconsin’s secondary made several timely plays—Robinson logged multiple solo tackles and West broke up consecutive passes—but the group also surrendered a number of intermediate completions that produced big gains.
One of the more striking early plays came from Division-3 transfer Liam Danitz, who partially blocked a punt on Notre Dame’s opening series and helped set up the game’s first points.
Where the program stands now
The loss continued a troubling trend: Wisconsin has now dropped 12 straight games against top-20 teams and has lost eight consecutive road or neutral-site matchups. Still, Fickell’s offseason investments signaled ambition, and the team showed enough flashes to suggest progress is possible.
Wisconsin faces a short week to prepare for an FCS opponent, followed by a stretch that opens Big Ten play against programs led by first-year head coaches at Penn State and Michigan State, and a road trip to UCLA after a bye. The schedule also includes a home meeting with USC on Oct. 24 and a challenging trip to Iowa later in the season.
Coaches and administrators will watch the next month closely. The upcoming games offer a chance to correct the issues exposed by Notre Dame and to build momentum; failing to do so would only deepen questions about how quickly the program can close the gap with college football’s elite.
