Sports
GREEN BAY, Wis. — No. 4 Notre Dame opened its season with a 41–13 victory over Wisconsin at Lambeau Field, pulling away after a first half that was far tighter than the final score suggests. The Irish led only 13–10 at halftime before outscoring the Badgers 28–3 after the break.
Wisconsin struck first after Sebastian Cheeks forced a fumble on a strip-sack and Liam Danitz blocked a punt, setting up Gavin Lahm's 27-yard field goal. Notre Dame answered, then recovered a Wisconsin kick-return fumble before James Flanigan caught a three-yard touchdown pass from CJ Carr.
The Badgers tied the game at 10 when Colton Joseph connected with Malachi Coleman for a 28-yard touchdown. Spencer Porath's 26-yard field goal gave Notre Dame its narrow halftime lead, with Wisconsin's defense having held the Irish to 29 first-half rushing yards.
Parker's game tape turns in the third quarter. Aneyas Williams finished a 70-yard drive with a three-yard touchdown run. On Wisconsin's next possession, D.J. McKinney returned an interception 55 yards for a score, creating the two-touchdown swing that broke the game open.
Williams added another rushing touchdown in the fourth, and Carr closed the scoring with a 28-yard touchdown pass to Nolan James Jr. Carr threw for 239 yards, Williams rushed for 90 and Jordan Faison led Notre Dame receivers with 81 yards. Wisconsin linebacker Mason Posa recorded a career-high 15 tackles.
The result makes both teams 1–0 and 0–1 respectively, but one opener cannot define a season. Notre Dame showed second-half balance and defensive punishment; Wisconsin's immediate correction list begins with turnovers and sustaining offense after halftime.
Evidence ledger — confirmed: Notre Dame defeated Wisconsin 41–13 after leading 13–10 at halftime. Characterized or alleged: The final margin reflects a dominant Irish second half. Disputed: How predictive the opener is for either team's season remains uncertain. Still unknown: How both teams respond in their next games. The next verifiable development is film review and week 2 performance will test the lessons from the opener. Those distinctions matter because they keep this report tied to the dated record instead of turning an opening action, preliminary filing, or early result into a conclusion the evidence does not yet support.
The publication checkpoint remains narrow and specific: Notre Dame defeated Wisconsin 41–13 after leading 13–10 at halftime. The report does not treat how both teams respond in their next games. as settled. Readers should measure the next update against the promised record—film review and week 2 performance will test the lessons from the opener.—and reject claims that skip that evidentiary step.
Sources
- Wisconsin Athletics — Badgers fall to No. 4 Notre Dame at Lambeau, 41-13 (09-06-2026)
- Wisconsin Athletics — Football vs Notre Dame Box Score (09-06-2026)