MADISON — Wisconsin dominated from start to finish on its way to a 31-3 win over Michigan State at Camp Randall Stadium on Saturday. Plays of the Game Facing third-and-6 at the Michigan State 26-yard line, Colton Joseph looked to his left and went up top to tight end Jacob Harris. The ball appe ared underthrown, giving Kenny Soares Jr. a chance to intercept it or at least knock it down. Instead, it just barely cleared his hands and found Harris. He bobbled it, pinned it to his leg, and bounced it off his facemask before he finally secured it for the score. WHAT A CATCH FROM @BadgerFootball's JACOB HARRIS ‼️ Wisconsin takes the early lead 🙌 Watch on BTN pic.twitter.com/WIlg3GYoQ3 — Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) October 3, 2026 Wisconsin Game Balls Offense: Colton Joseph — A week after helping Wisconsin to a 17-point comeback, Joseph played turnover-free football, delivering with his arm and his legs. The senior transfer converted four third downs on the opening drive and finished it with a touchdown to Jacob Harris. Joseph found Harris again on the second drive for a score and capped his day with a 47-yard bomb to Malachi Coleman. In between, he ran for 141 yards, including a 46-yard touchdown. It was the most complete performance by the offense and the most complete game for Joseph. 47-yard TD 💥 Colton Joseph keeps it on 3rd down for the @BadgerFootball TD. Watch on BTN pic.twitter.com/gwBMHm3VNB — Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) October 3, 2026 Defense: LB Mason Posa and Cooper Catalano — Wisconsin’s linebacker duo was all over the place against the Spartans. The sophomores combined for 19 tackles and led a defense that allowed just 235 yards of offense. Wisconsin had five fourth-down stops, including a pass breakup by Catalano and a stop for no gain by Posa. What Went Right The game Wisconsin hadn’t played a full four-quarter game in a very long time, but the Badgers did exactly that. They took control early, jumping out to a 17-0 lead and never truly being in danger the rest of the way. The offense put up 373 yards, including 243 on the ground. There were zero turnovers for the first time all year and just the third time in the last two seasons. On defense, the Badgers gave up some yards early, but they were fantastic on fourth down (1-for-6) and constantly got pressure on all of Michigan State’s quarterbacks. Wisconsin has now held its first two Big Ten opponents under 235 yards for the first time in a non-COVID year since 2004. Kicker Gavin Lahm stayed perfect on the year (9-for-9) with a 30-yard make in the first half, while Sean West dropped a couple of punts inside the 20. https://x.com/BigTenNetwork/status/2106473060433907908?s=20 What Went Wrong Penalties It was a tough day for the Badgers on the penalty front, getting flagged six times for 67 yards. The lone fourth-down conversion came courtesy of a penalty on Javan Robinson for pass interference, one of two penalties on the Wisconsin cornerback. Edge rusher Sebastian Cheeks got called for roughing the passer to keep a drive going in the first half, and later defensive lineman Jake Anderson got flagged for the same thing. The penalties have been a season-long issue (Wisconsin is averaging 6.2 per game) and something that needs to be cleaned up. In Case You Missed It — Former Wisconsin fullback Matt Bernstein served as the honorary captain. He was joined by linebacker Aaron Witt, offensive lineman Kevin Heywood, and linebackers Cooper Catalano and Mason Posa. — Wisconsin wore alternate uniforms for a second time this season. They included a red helmet with a block W. It’s the first time the Badgers have ever gone with that look. — During a timeout in the second quarter, the Badgers recognized former athletic director Pat Richter and former coach and athletic director Barry Alvarez. Standing ovation for Pat Richter and Barry Alvarez. pic.twitter.com/3es0rvoZkp — Zach Heilprin (@ZachHeilprin) October 3, 2026 — Wisconsin made a switch along the offensive line, with Kevin Heywood moving from right tackle to left tackle and Emerson Mandell sliding in at right tackle. The starter at left tackle for the first four games — PJ Wilkins — got a couple of drives at right tackle in place of Mandell. — Starting center Austin Kawecki was forced out of the lineup with an upper-body injury in the second quarter and did not return. Junior Ryan Cory replaced him. It meant that four of the five offensive linemen on the field came from the 2024 recruiting class. — The announced crowd was 67,001. While the student section was full by the time of Jump Around, there were large patches of open seats in the upper deck. Inside the Numbers 294 — Over their final two drives at Penn State and their first two drives against Michigan State, that’s how many yards the Badgers’ offense had. All four drives ended in touchdowns. 141 — That’s how many yards Joseph had on the ground. It’s the second-most by a Wisconsin quarterback behind the 158 Tanner McEvoy had against Bowling Green in 2014. 4 — That’s how many consecutive wins Wisconsin has. It’s the longest winning streak since 2021. 36.3 — That’s how many points the Badgers are averaging during the winning streak. 10.5 — That’s how many points the Badgers are giving up during the winning streak. 3 — That’s how many points Michigan State has scored in its last two trips to Madison. 4 — That’s how many wins Wisconsin has, already matching its total from a year ago. What’s Next? Wisconsin (4-1, 2-0) will get next weekend off before traveling to Los Angeles to face No. 23 UCLA (4-0, 2-0) on Oct. 17. ...read more read less