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· collected 2026-09-07 · by Steve Megargee The Associated Press
Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman's team faced off against Wisconsin at Lambeau Field on Sunday night, overcoming a slow start to win 41-13. The game was a bigger challenge than expected for Notre Dame, who were looking to prove their College Football Playoff worthiness after being left out last year. CJ Carr threw two touchdown passes and Aneyas Williams ran for 90 yards and two scores as Notre Dame dominated the second half after trailing 10-13 at halftime. Wisconsin coach Luke Fickell acknowledged that his team created momentum in the first half but failed to sustain it in the second.
Written by the local model on 2026-09-07,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman knows Wisconsin coach Luke Fickell well enough to realize the Fighting Irish would face a bigger season-opening challenge than the recent results of these two teams suggested.
uncertain
results → know → teams
Freeman’s team eventually responded.
asserted
team → respond → ?
CJ Carr threw two touchdown passes, Aneyas Williams ran for 90 yards and two more scores and No. 4 Notre Dame pulled away in the second half to beat Wisconsin 41-13 on Sunday night at Lambeau Field.
asserted
Dame → throw → Field
Notre Dame led just 13-10 at halftime before dominating the final two periods.
asserted
Dame → lead → periods
“Human nature is 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,” said Freeman, who played for Fickell at Ohio State and coached alongside him at Cincinnati.
asserted
who → look → Cincinnati
“I don’t know how they thought it would go, but I wanted to make sure at halftime they knew it was going to be a babble and going to be a struggle.
asserted
it → know → halftime
I told them that all week.
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I → tell → that
Sometimes you don’t believe it until you’re in it.”
asserted
you → believe → it
This was the first college football game at the home of the NFL’s Green Bay Packers since 2016, when Wisconsin upset a fifth-ranked LSU team 16-14.
asserted
Wisconsin → upset → team
Wisconsin also hung around for a while in this one as a three-touchdown underdog as it attempts to bounce back from two straight losing seasons.
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it → hang → seasons
Notre Dame’s first touchdown came on a 3-yard reception by Green Bay resident James Flanigan, whose father and grandfather (each named Jim Flanigan) both played for the Packers.
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each → come → Packers
“There’s three generations of Flanigans who have been on that field and made some plays,” Flanigan said.
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Flanigan → ’ → plays
“That’s really special.”
asserted
That → ’ → ?
Carr went 19 of 29 for 239 yards.
asserted
Carr → go → yards
His other touchdown completion was a 28-yarder to Nolan James Jr. with 1:51 left.
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completion → leave → Jr.
The Irish entered this season pledging to leave no doubt about their College Football Playoff worthiness after getting left out of the field last year despite winning their last 10 regular-season games by double-digit margins.
asserted
Irish → enter → margins
But the Irish’s performance early on created plenty of doubt about how effectively they can run the ball without Heisman Trophy finalist Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price, the only two running backs selected in the first round of this year’s NFL draft.
asserted
they → create → draft
Notre Dame rushed for 111 yards on 32 carries — including just 29 yards on 16 attempts in the first half.
asserted
Dame → rush → half
Notre Dame’s offense eventually got in gear.
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offense → get → gear
The Irish scored touchdowns on each of their three second-half possessions.
asserted
Irish → score → possessions
“I don’t have a great explanation for the second half,” Fickell said.
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Fickell → have → half
“I give them a lot of credit.
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I → give → credit
We kind of held the energy and created a lot of momentum in the first half.
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We → hold → half
In the second half, we could do none.”
uncertain
we → do → none
Williams’ 3-yard touchdown run capped a 70-yard drive to open the second half.
asserted
run → cap → half
Colorado transfer DJ McKinney then intercepted Colton Joseph’s pass and ran untouched for a 55-yard touchdown to make it 27-10.
asserted
it → intercept → touchdown
Gavin Lahm’s second field goal of the night cut Notre Dame’s lead to 27-13 near the end of the third, but Williams capped the Irish’s next drive with a 5-yard touchdown run and James completed the scoring in the closing minutes.
asserted
Williams → cut → minutes
“We prepared for a battle,” Carr said.
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Carr → prepare → battle
“We got a battle in the first half.
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We → get → half
We were really excited, I think, coming out of the second half because Free talks about there’s nothing great that comes from something that’s easy.
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that → think → something
We knew it was going to be a struggle.
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it → know → ?
It’s what we wanted, and (we) ended up finishing really strong.”
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we → ’ → what
The takeaway
Wisconsin: After adding 34 transfers, Wisconsin certainly looks better than it has the last couple of years.
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it → add → years
But the Badgers needed to play mistake-free football to have a shot at pulling the upset, and they instead had two turnovers that led to Notre Dame touchdowns.
asserted
that → need → touchdowns
The Irish’s defense could face some early adversity.
uncertain
defense → face → adversity
The Irish lost preseason Associated Press All-America second-team safety Brauntae Johnson and defensive lineman Jason Onye to injuries during the game.
asserted
Irish → lose → game
Freeman had no update on either player after the game.
asserted
Freeman → have → game
Preseason AP All-America second-team linebacker Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa didn’t play as he continues to recover from a knee injury that ended his 2025 season early.
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that → play → season
One positive development for Notre Dame came from Purdue transfer Spencer Porath, who made field goals of 52 and 26 yards in his Irish debut.
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who → come → debut
Last season, Notre Dame didn’t make a field goal after Oct. 11.
asserted
Dame → make → Oct.
…and 2 more, not listed.
