Fickell: Badgers to test themselves against top competition
Wisconsin coach Luke Fickell views the season opener against No. 4 Notre Dame as an opportunity to close the gap with elite competition, and that means not shying away from the Fighting Irish's star players, including All-America cornerback Leonard Moore.
"We've got to not think that we can't go that direction," Fickell said, according to ESPN. "I'm not saying he's not the best in the country. I'm not saying he's not a top-2, 3 [NFL draft] pick in the country. But the idea is you've still got to be able to run your offense. The thing that I love about what it is that we do is, we make people do everything, so he'll have a chance to prove that he's the best in the country."
Moore has recorded seven interceptions and 18 pass breakups in his first two college seasons and was a Jim Thorpe Award finalist last season, while appearing on preseason watch lists for multiple national defensive player of the year awards this year.
Wisconsin and Notre Dame meet Sunday night at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
The Badgers are coming off consecutive losing seasons, impacted by early quarterback injuries. They are turning to Old Dominion transfer Colton Joseph, the 2025 Sun Belt Player of the Year, to lead the offense against Notre Dame.
"Game 1, we've got to be able to run our offense," Fickell said. "This is a challenge, not only to the entire offense, this is a challenge to the wideouts. Everybody's got the goal and the dream to play at the next level. Well, you're going to go out there and face, not just in particular there at the corner position, but you're going to face a lot of NFL players. There's no better way to measure ourselves."
Fickell acknowledged that ideally Wisconsin would have a "preseason" type game to assess players and units, but has embraced the chance to face a national title contender right away.
Offensive line uncertainty
The playing status of Wisconsin offensive linemen Emerson Mandell and Kevin Heywood remains uncertain for the season opener. Both players are recovering from injuries and their availability may not be known until game day.
"There aren't decisions made completely on a lot of guys just yet," Fickell said Aug. 31 during a weekly news conference at Camp Randall Stadium, as reported by the Green Bay Press-Gazette. "We'll have to figure that thing out as we get closer to game day."
Mandell, a right guard, has been recovering from foot surgery he had in the spring. Heywood, a right tackle, suffered a lower body injury during the second day of camp and didn't return in a full capacity for the rest of camp.
At the end of camp the two were doing individual work during practice. After the final day of camp Aug. 23, the two were running sprints on the practice field north of the stadium following a team scrimmage.
"Both of them took some reps today, as far as a lot of guys took reps today," Fickell said. "But that's the one spot probably on the offensive line that this week is going to be a lot of determining factors."
If Mandell and/or Heywood cannot play, Wisconsin will lean on two players who received significant work with the first unit in camp but are overall inexperienced.
Right guard Stylz Blackmon, who emerged late in camp as the front-runner to fill in for Mandell, is a transfer from Division II Augustana. The junior has impressed since his arrival but has never played against an FBS opponent.
Right tackle Lucas Simmons-Johansson has been the No. 1 player at the position since Heywood's injury, but he never played the right side until now.
Mandell started every game last season, including the final 11 at right tackle. Heywood was the starter at left tackle in the spring of 2024 when he suffered a season-ending ACL tear.
Against a Notre Dame defensive line that has length, depth, and projected NFL players, the uncertainty on the offensive line adds another layer of challenge to the season opener.