Wisconsin briefly knotted the score with No. 4 Notre Dame on Sunday night in Chicago, converting a 28-yard touchdown pass that beat the Fighting Irish defense over the top and tied the game at 10-10 in the first half.
Wisconsin quarterback Colton Joseph connected on the scoring play after Notre Dame defensive back Jayden Sanders bit on a double move, according to live updates from On3 covering the Fighting Irish’s season opener at Soldier Field. The touchdown erased an early 10-3 deficit for the Badgers, who had opened the season unranked against a Notre Dame team that entered the year at No. 4 in the country.
The tie did not last. Notre Dame answered by reclaiming the lead before halftime on a field goal, going into the break ahead 13-10. The Irish then pulled away in the third quarter, scoring on a rushing touchdown from Aneyas Williams and later extending the margin further when cornerback DJ McKinney intercepted a pass from Joseph and returned it for a touchdown, according to Yahoo Sports’ live coverage of the game. Wisconsin answered with a 36-yard Gavin Lahm field goal, but as of the latest update, Notre Dame led 27-13 heading into the fourth quarter.
Notre Dame entered the matchup with quarterback CJ Carr, who posted 2,741 passing yards and 24 touchdowns last season, while Wisconsin’s starting quarterback situation had been unsettled heading into the opener. The two programs last met in 2021, when Notre Dame won 41-13 at Soldier Field, and this year’s neutral-site opener again pitted the Badgers against a ranked Irish squad to open the 2026 season.
This is a developing story; further scoring updates will be reflected as the game concludes.