No. 5 Notre Dame 41, Wisconsin 13 | Instant takeaways from Week 1 loss
The Wisconsin football team opened the 2026 season with a 41-13 loss to Notre Dame Sept. 6 at Lambeau Field. Here are 5 takeaways from the night.
On September 6, the Wisconsin Badgers suffered a 41-13 loss to the No. 5-ranked Notre Dame Fighting Irish in their Week 1 game at Lambeau Field. Despite being a significant underdog, the Badgers put up a fight, trailing by only 13-10 at halftime. However, Notre Dame outgained Wisconsin 350-284 and scored 28 points in the second half, primarily through turnovers.
Junior quarterback CJ Carr, a potential Heisman Trophy contender, completed 19 of 29 passes for 211 yards and a touchdown, while Colton Joseph, making his Badgers debut, threw for 217 yards, one touchdown, and an interception. Running back Abu Sama contributed 15 yards on 15 carries, and sophomore linebacker Mason Posa tallied 15 tackles.
Key takeaways include the impact of turnovers, the importance of special teams (notably Liam Danitz's blocked punt and Sean West's 70-yard punt), Malachi Coleman's emergence as a key player for Wisconsin, and the defensive strength that kept the game competitive in the first half.
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- Five stars from Notre Dame's 41-13 victory over the Wisconsin Badgers sports.yahoo.com
- No. 4 Notre Dame overcomes sluggish start to beat Wisconsin 41-13 at Lambeau Field winnipegfreepress.com
