GREEN BAY — No. 4 Notre Dame scored on all three of its second-half possessions as the Irish hammered Wisconsin 41-13 at Lambeau Field on Sunday. Play of the Game Already trailing 20-10 in the third quarter, the Badgers were trying to mount a drive to keep it close. But an apparent miscommunica tion between quarterback Colton Joseph and wide receiver Chris Brooks Jr. proved disastrous, as an errant pass sailed into the hands of Notre Dame’s DJ McKinney. He took off for a 55-yard touchdown to make it a three possession game. There was still 8:52 left in the game but it was essentially over after that play. PICK-SIX FOR THE FIGHTING IRISH! 💪Notre Dame wastes NO time for a SECOND third-quarter touchdown! 📺 Wisconsin vs. #4 Notre Dame on NBC Peacock pic.twitter.com/iVkY1mpgKh — NBC Sports (@NBCSports) September 7, 2026 Wisconsin Game Balls Offense: WR Malachi Coleman The former 4-star recruit showed why so many were excited about him coming out of high school. The Minnesota transfer caught a career-high four passes for 76 yards. That included a pretty double move that got him free for a wide open 28-yard touchdown grab from Joseph. It was just the second touchdown of Coleman’s career. 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 Defense: EDGE Sebastian Cheeks The fifth-year captain delivered a pair of plays that stood out for Wisconsin. He burst off the edge on Notre Dame’s first drive and sacked quarterback CJ Carr, forcing a fumble that the Irish recovered. Later on he once again got around the Notre Dame offensive line and hit Carr just as he was throwing a pass. He was credited with a pass break up on that one. What Went Right The first half Wisconsin came out with the type of energy and fight that we saw last November when the Badgers upset a pair of top-25 teams. They weren’t getting pushed around, holding the Irish to just 135 total yards, including 29 on the ground (1.8 ypc). The offense, meanwhile, wasn’t great, but it did enough, putting up 143 yards and three different drives of seven or more plays. That included the lone touchdown drive of the day when Joseph hit Coleman for the score. Special teams good The special teams was both good and bad for the Badgers. We’ll address the good here, including a blocked punt by Liam Danitz that set Wisconsin up at the Irish 37-yard line. That setup the Badgers first scored, a 27-yard field goal from Gavin Lahm. Then, Sean West had perhaps the greatest punt in program history, dropping a 70-yard bomb inside the five and watching it roll out of bounds inside the 1-yard line. Lahm would also connect later in the game on a 36-yard field to cap the Badgers scoring. From Mequon to Madison to Lambeau Field, Wisconsin's Sean West delivered an UNFORGETTABLE punt in his home state. 🏈 pic.twitter.com/DJaLMAxcn6 — NBC Sports (@NBCSports) September 7, 2026 What Went Wrong The second half Notre Dame is one of the best teams in the country and the Irish delivered on that after halftime. They took it to the Wisconsin defense scoring on all three of their possessions in the second half, piling up 215 total yards and averaging 5.1 yards per carry. Wisconsin’s defenders struggled to tackle, allowing the Irish backs and receivers to pile up 141 yards after the catch. Meanwhile, the defense bottled up the Badgers and made the play of the game with McKinney’s interception that ended up being the play of the game. Special teams bad If the interception wasn’t the difference in the game, then it was probably the muffed kickoff by Harrison Bortolotti after the Irish had tied the game 3-3 in the first quarter. Instead of calling for a fair catch as he did with the opening kickoff, the sophomore walk-on tried to return the ball but didn’t do the most important thing — catch it. Instead, it found the arms of a Notre Dame defender, setting up the Irish for their first touchdown. "THAT BALL GETS LOOSE! NOTRE DAME HAS IT!" 🗣️Notre Dame recovers the fumble in Wisconsin territory! 📺 Wisconsin vs. #4 Notre Dame on NBC Peacock pic.twitter.com/wxgQnsGWFe — NBC Sports (@NBCSports) September 7, 2026 Now, there was some controversy over the play, as it didn’t appear the Notre Dame player had control of the ball before he went out of bounds, but the fumble was upheld. Either way, it was a brutal play by a guy that had never been in that situation. Wisconsin used Eugene Hilton Jr and Nate Palmer the rest of the game. In Case You Missed It — Wisconsin’s captains for the game were Sebastian Cheeks, Matt Jung, Colton Joseph and Chris Brooks Jr. — Both teams were wearing alternate uniforms put together by Under Armour. It was the first time Wisconsin had lost wearing red helmets since 2013. — Wisconsin had four of its five preferred starters along the offensive line, including right tackle Kevin Heywood. He had missed most of fall camp with a foot injury, but played the entire game. Starting right guard Emerson Mandell did not suit up. — This was the second major college football game played at Lambeau Field. Wisconsin won the first in 2016, 16-14 over No. 5 LSU. — Notre Dame scored the final 31 points of the game in 2021 when they beat the Badgers 41-13 at Soldier Field. The Irish outscored Wisconsin 31-3 over the final 38 minutes in Sunday’s game to win 41-13. — There were a host of Wisconsin alumni in attendance, including former All-American running backs Ron Dayne, Montee Ball and Melvin Gordon. Inside the Numbers 21.4 — That’s the average margin of loss for the Badgers against top-5 teams under Luke Fickell. Wisconsin has been outscored 150-53 in those seven games. 0-1 — That’s Wisconsin’s record. It’s just the second time since 2015 that the Badgers have opened the season with a loss. 217 — That’s how many yards Colton Joseph threw for in his debut. The senior went 19-for-30, throwing one touchdown and one interception. He was limited to just three yards rushing. 15 — That’s how many tackles Mason Posa had. That was a career-high for the sophomore. 67 — That’s how many rushing yards the Badgers had. It’s their third-fewest in the Luke Fickell era What’s Next? Wisconsin (0-1) will host Western Illinois at Camp Randall Stadium on Saturday. Kick is at 6:15 p.m. ...read more read less