No. 4 Notre Dame shook off early offensive struggles to beat Wisconsin 41-13 on Sunday night at Lambeau Field, pulling away in the second half after a sluggish start that raised questions about the Fighting Irish's running game.
CJ Carr threw for 239 yards and two touchdowns on 19-of-29 passing, while Aneyas Williams ran for 90 yards and two scores as Notre Dame outscored the Badgers 28-3 in the second half. The Fighting Irish led just 13-10 at halftime before taking control in the final two quarters.
"We gotta find ways to run the ball. Right now we can't run the ball with consistency. We gotta do that," Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman told reporters at halftime, highlighting the team's most glaring weakness in the opener.
The game marked the first college football contest at the home of the Green Bay Packers since 2016, when Wisconsin upset fifth-ranked LSU 16-14. Wisconsin hung around as a three-touchdown underdog for much of Sunday's contest before Notre Dame's talent advantage became apparent.
Notre Dame's first touchdown came on a 3-yard reception by Green Bay resident James Flanigan, whose father and grandfather both played for the Packers. Carr's other touchdown pass was a 28-yarder to Nolan James Jr. with 1:51 remaining.
Williams provided the breakthrough moment early in the third quarter, bouncing around the line of scrimmage before finding a hole and the end zone on a 9-play, 70-yard drive that put Notre Dame ahead 20-10. The touchdown capped a 4:31 drive that gave the Fighting Irish breathing room after a tight first half.
The Irish entered the season pledging to leave no doubt about their College Football Playoff worthiness after getting excluded from last year's field despite winning their final 10 regular-season games by double-digit margins. Sunday's performance created early 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.
Notre Dame's defense lived up to its preseason billing, containing Wisconsin's offense throughout the contest. The unit's performance helped mask the offensive inconsistencies that plagued the Fighting Irish early.
The game wasn't without injury concerns for Notre Dame. Safety Brauntae Johnson and defensive lineman Jason Onye were ruled out for the remainder of the contest, with Johnson leaving the game in the second quarter and replaced by Luke Talich.
Wisconsin briefly kept pace in the first half, with the Badgers scoring on a 28-yard touchdown pass after Jayden Sanders bit on a double move to tie the game 10-10 in the second quarter. But Notre Dame answered with a field goal before halftime to take a 13-10 lead into the break.
The Fighting Irish's ability to pull away in the second half demonstrated their depth and talent advantage, even as questions linger about their ground game heading into the rest of the season. Freeman's halftime comments about needing to establish rushing consistency will likely be a focal point as Notre Dame prepares for its next contest.
