No. 4 Notre Dame overcame a sluggish start and a blocked punt at Lambeau Field to defeat Wisconsin 41-13 on Sunday, Sept. 6, 2026. Powered by a dominant second-half surge, quarterback CJ Carr and running back Aneyas Williams fueled the lopsided victory in front of 75,939 fans in Green Bay.
Notre Dame spent the nine months preceding Sunday’s kickoff preaching a single phrase: Leave No Doubt.
The mantra was born out of frustration after the College Football Playoff committee snubbed the program in December 2025, leaving the team without a bowl game. Yet as the fourth-ranked Irish took the field inside Lambeau Field on Sunday night, the first half did precisely the opposite.
The Badgers capitalized on early Irish miscues, holding a surprising upper hand while limiting Notre Dame to just 29 rushing yards and 1.8 yards per carry before intermission. Coach Marcus Freeman didn’t mince words when he walked into the locker room holding a precarious 13-10 lead.
“It’s human nature, when maybe you look at somebody else’s record last year and everybody has expectations on what you should be this year, to think, ‘This is how this game should go.’ I don’t know how they thought it would go, but I wanted to make sure at halftime they knew that it was going to be a battle and a struggle, and I told them that all week. And sometimes you don’t believe it till you’re in it.”
Marcus Freeman, Notre Dame Coach
CJ Carr and the Second-Half Offensive Explosion
The Irish offense found its rhythm immediately after the break, orchestrating a methodical 70-yard march across nine plays to open the third quarter. Quarterback CJ Carr orchestrated the aerial attack efficiently, completing 19 of 29 passes for 239 yards and two touchdowns. Carr noted that the sideline mood shifted well before the blowout took shape.
“We got a battle in the first half, and we were really excited coming around the second half because [Freeman] talks about, ‘There’s nothing great that comes from something that’s easy.’ And so we knew it was going to be a struggle, and that’s what we wanted and ended up finishing really strong.”
CJ Carr, Notre Dame Quarterback
Williams finished with 20 carries for 90 yards and two touchdowns, sealing drives with runs in the third and fourth quarters.
DJ McKinney’s Pick-Six and Defensive Suffocation
While the offense discovered its footing, the Notre Dame defense completely shut down Wisconsin in the final two quarters. The pivotal defensive sequence arrived early in the third quarter when Wisconsin quarterback Colton Joseph forced a quick throw toward senior Chris Brooks. Colorado transfer cornerback DJ McKinney read the route perfectly, intercepting the pass and rumbling 55 yards down the sideline for a touchdown.
That interception stretched the Irish advantage to 27-10, turning a tight contest into a rout. Wisconsin struggled to sustain momentum against the adjusted Irish defensive scheme after managing a single first-half touchdown—a 28-yard strike from Joseph to Malachi Coleman, who paced the Badgers with four catches for 76 yards.
Transfer Portals and Roster Realities at Lambeau Field
Both programs leaned heavily on the transfer portal during the offseason to reshape their two-deep depth charts. Wisconsin brought in 34 players through the portal—the third-most in the Big Ten—hoping to close the talent gap against elite opponents. Former Old Dominion dual-threat quarterback Colton Joseph won the starting job for Luke Fickell’s squad, showing flashes by mixing flat passes with designed runs before costly turnovers derailed the upset bid.
For Notre Dame, the victory carried physical costs for the Irish.
The 1-0 Irish now return to South Bend.
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