Why Wisconsin's Week 1 blowout loss wasn't as bad as it seems

The Wisconsin Badgers couldn't have asked for a much worse final score to open the 2026 season.

Wisconsin fell 41-13 to Notre Dame on Sunday night at Lambeau Field, but the 28-point margin doesn't tell the entire story.

In fact, there were plenty of reasons for optimism before things fell apart in the second half.

Wisconsin arguably looked like the better team in the first half

The best photos from Wisconsin vs. Notre Dame Shamrock Series

For the first 30 minutes, Wisconsin looked like it belonged on the field with one of the best teams in the country. The Badgers went into halftime trailing just 13-10 and did a good job limiting Notre Dame's offense. The defense kept the Irish from running away with the game, while the offense showed flashes of what it could become.

Quarterback Colton Joseph, making his Wisconsin debut, was particularly encouraging. He made several impressive throws down the field and finished 19-of-30 for 217 yards and a touchdown. His 28-yard touchdown pass to Malachi Coleman was one of the highlights of the night.

Obviously, the second half can't be ignored. Notre Dame scored 28 points after halftime, and Wisconsin struggled to generate much offensively.

Still, this wasn't a team that was completely outmatched from the opening kickoff. Wisconsin proved it could compete with Notre Dame for a half. Now, the challenge is figuring out how to do it for all four quarters.

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