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Wisconsin showed fight early but unraveled in the second half of its Week 1 meeting with No. 4 Notre Dame at Lambeau Field on Sunday night. What began as a competitive game turned into a one-sided finish, leaving clear standouts and troubling performances for the Badgers to sort through.
Winners
WR Malachi Coleman
Coleman emerged as Wisconsin’s top receiving threat, finishing as the team’s leading target. The 6-foot-5 speedster lined up all over the formation, created separation with sharp stop-and-go routes and hauled in a 28-yard touchdown in the second quarter. His route-running and contested-catch ability suggested he deserves more starter-level snaps moving forward.
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OLB Sebastian Cheeks
Cheeks made an immediate impact, forcing a strip-sack on Notre Dame QB C.J. Carr on the Irish’s opening drive. He consistently pressured from both edges and showed the burst Wisconsin has been seeking since Mason Reiger’s departure.
CB Bryce West
Deployed in the slot, West looked the part of a nickel upgrade. He displayed quickness and physicality, recording two pass breakups and handling tight-window coverage with confidence.
P Sean West
Wisconsin’s punter delivered a season highlight with a boomed 70-yard punt that was downed near the goal line. The kick flipped field position and stood out as one of the few special-teams plays that swung momentum for the Badgers.
OLB Liam Danitz
The D-III transfer provided an unexpected spark on special teams, blocking a punt after flying into the backfield. Danitz’s speed was evident on that play, and the impact suggests he could be a valuable situational piece.
Losers
QB Colton Joseph
Joseph showed flashes in his Wisconsin debut, including the throw that produced Coleman’s touchdown. But his late pick-six — which made the score 27-10 — was crushing. That turnover came at a pivotal moment and echoed the inconsistent quarterback play the program has struggled with recently.
RB Harrison Bortolotti
Putting Bortolotti on kickoff return duty proved costly. The freshman has no prior game experience as a returner, and his muffed kickoff gifted Notre Dame favorable field position that turned into an easy score.
LB Jon Jon Kamara
The Kansas transfer was scarcely visible for much of the night and recorded no statistics. On Notre Dame’s final touchdown, he lost his assignment out of the backfield, got turned around and failed to make the tackle on a 28-yard catch-and-run by Nolan James Jr.
DC Mike Tressel
Wisconsin’s defensive game plan crumbled after halftime. C.J. Carr settled in and consistently attacked the soft zone coverage Tressel preferred, while the Badgers failed to generate reliable pressure beyond isolated one-on-one wins by outside linebackers. Notre Dame produced three second-half touchdown drives, and what began as an encouraging defensive effort deteriorated quickly.
