No. 4 Irish pull away, down Badgers at Lambeau — SkimNews
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- Notre Dame trailed in total yards at halftime (outgained 143-135) and held only a 13-10 lead before pulling away to beat Wisconsin 41-13 at Lambeau Field in Sunday night's season opener.
- The Irish outscored Wisconsin 28-3 in the second half, capping touchdown drives of 70, 75, and 88 yards on all three of their second-half possessions.
- CJ Carr completed 10 of 13 passes for 133 yards and a touchdown after halftime after going just 9-of-16 in the first half, drawing an "excellent" rating from coach Marcus Freeman.
- Aneyas Williams (90 rushing yards, two TDs) and Nolan James Jr. (28-yard TD reception) carried the backfield workload after the departures of NFL first-round picks Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price.
- Cornerback D.J. McKinney returned an interception 55 yards for a touchdown midway through the third quarter to break the game open.
- Marcus Freeman acknowledged Notre Dame has lost six of its 12 games under his watch in August or September, including an 0-2 start last season that closed the College Football Playoff door — a pattern he spent the offseason trying to fix.
Why it matters: Notre Dame entered the year as a popular pick to reach the College Football Playoff and win its first national title since 1988, but Freeman conceded the Irish have lost six of 12 games under him in August or September — making a second-half reset against a three-touchdown underdog a meaningful confidence test rather than a routine opener.
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