2 winners and 2 losers from Wisconsin's embarrassing Week 1 loss vs. Notre Dame

Despite a strong first-half showing, the Wisconsin Badgers were not able to shock the world, sadly, losing at the hands of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish 13-41. The Badgers trailed by just three at halftime, but just didn't have the juice to compete with the Irish down the stretch, resulting in a relatively embarrassing loss on what was virtually their home field.

That said, there were lots for Wisconsin fans to take away, both good and bad. A long season remains ahead, which will likely be filled with ups and downs. So, for now, let's look at what went right and what will need to be improved on going forward, starting with the winners.

"Winners":

Sean West

As funny as it may sound, arguably the best player currently on the Badgers roster is none other than junior punter Sean West. Whether fans choose to interpret that as an insult to the rest of Wisconsin's roster or a fun fact about the roster is up to the eyes of the beholder, but nonetheless, it's impossible to deny how good he performed.

West booted 5 balls on the night, two of which were absolutely beautiful balls. One was a 70-yard thudder that pinned Notre Dame all the way down to its one-yard line, and the other being a 50-yard boot that rolled in between the hands of a Badger positioned inside the five. All in all, West’s performance was a bright spot in an otherwise gloomy night.

Malachi Coleman

Coming into this game, many speculated as to how this wide receiver room was going to shake out. It was somewhat clear that Eugene Hilton Jr. was going to be the “go-to guy,” but with him drawing the Leonard Moore matchup, an opportunity opened up for another Badger to make some plays – and that's exactly what Malachi Coleman did.

The 6-foot-5 physical specimen caught four balls for 76 yards, including hauling in Wisconsin's lone score of the game. Coleman was one of the only players on the team who was able to consistently create separation, making him an appealing player to keep track of moving forward.

Losers

The trenches

It was very clear early on in the second half that Wisconsin didn't have what it took to hang with the big boys up front for the Fighting Irish. After a slow first half on the ground, Notre Dame dominated the second, rushing for 113 yards on the night and allowing just one sack in the process.

On the flip side, Notre Dame was able to constantly get home on Colton Joseph, collapsing the pocket and forcing errant throws, on top of limiting the Badgers to just 2.2yards per carry. All in all, Wisconsin’s lack of ability to win on the front six heavily attributed to the blowout loss.

Luke Fickell

The “fire Fickell” crowd sure as hell got their money's worth in the second half of this one, as the final result was exactly what Badger fans have been dreading since this game was announced. After a strong first half, Wisconsin was outdueled in the second, with the Fighting Irish clearly coming out of the break more prepared to take care of business.

This loss will be far from the final straw that breaks the camel's back, as it will take a handful more losses stacking up for conversations of Fickell being fired to truly heat up. But for now, his spot remains firmly on the hot seat.

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