Irish Take Over After Halftime, Beat Wisconsin 41–13 at Lambeau

For a half, Notre Dame’s season opener at Lambeau Field was an uncomfortable watch. By the finish, the Irish had given their fans plenty to celebrate. No. 4 Notre Dame defeated Wisconsin 41–13 on Sunday night, September 6, turning a 13–10 halftime lead into a convincing Shamrock Series victory.

The opening minutes offered reminders that September football can be messy. CJ Carr fumbled under pressure, with Styles Prescod recovering, and a partially blocked punt helped Wisconsin grab an early 3–0 lead. Notre Dame answered with Spencer Porath’s 52-yard field goal and a three-yard touchdown pass from Carr to James Flanigan. The Badgers stayed close, tying the game on Colton Joseph’s 28-yard touchdown pass to Malachi Coleman before Porath’s second field goal put the Irish ahead at the break.

The separation came in the third quarter. Aneyas Williams capped a 70-yard drive with a three-yard touchdown run. Then DJ McKinney intercepted Joseph and raced 55 yards for a touchdown, pushing the lead to 27–10. In two scoring plays, a tense game had swung decisively toward Notre Dame.

Wisconsin managed a field goal, but the Irish kept building. Williams scored again from five yards out, and Carr found Nolan James Jr. for a 28-yard touchdown to complete the scoring.

Carr finished 19 of 29 for 239 yards, spreading his completions among nine receivers. Williams supplied 90 rushing yards and two touchdowns, while Jordan Faison led Notre Dame with 81 receiving yards. The Irish defense helped close the door, limiting Wisconsin to 1.4 yards per rush in the second half.

The encouraging part for Irish fans is the response. Notre Dame had problems to work through early, then outscored Wisconsin 28–3 after halftime. One opener cannot answer every question about a season, but a team that settles down and takes control gives its supporters something solid to build on. Leaving Lambeau 1–0 is a good start. Go Irish!

Game details: Notre Dame Athletics recap and Wisconsin Athletics recap.