Badgers football coach Luke Fickell held his weekly press conference Sept. 8 at Camp Randall Stadium. Here is what we learned.

First and foremost, Wisconsin was dealing with several high-profile injuries to starters up front. Right guard Emerson Mandell and right tackle Kevin Heywood were both question marks heading into Sunday night. The latter played, while Mandell sat out.

What to know about Wisconsin head coach Luke Fickell's contract in 2026.

The Wisconsin Badgers had everything going for them against Notre Dame until the second half began. Despite heading into the third quarter trailing 13-10, this absolutely felt like a game the Badgers could win. Suddenly, it was 20-10, and the next thing you know, Colton Joseph threw a pick-six that put the Badgers in a 17-point deficit.

Wisconsin coach Luke Fickell said that he does not have a 'great explanation' for the second half where Notre Dame outscored the Badgers, 28-3.

Following a missed opportunity at a bowl bid last season, the Wisconsin Badgers are faced with another challenging slate. But this year may end up being different under Luke Fickell's direction.

Luke Fickell is going to have to put together a better season at Wisconsin to avoid a troublesome ending to his time with the Badgers.

The Wisconsin Badgers poured more than $20 million into their football program for this season in a last-ditch effort to […]