MADISON (NBC 26) — For Wisconsin's players from around the state, Sunday's season opener at Lambeau Field is more than another game.
For quarterback Colton Joseph, it's an opportunity to prove what Wisconsin can do against one of the nation's best teams.
For Matthew Jung, Gavin Lahm, Cooper Catalano, Taylor Schaefer and Emmett Bork, it's a chance to play on the same field they grew up watching from the stands.
And for the Badgers as a whole, it's the first test of whether a program that struggled a year ago has made the progress it believes it has.
Wisconsin opens the season Sunday night against No. 4 Notre Dame in a matchup that gives the Badgers little time to ease into the season.
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The Fighting Irish enter with one of the nation's highest preseason rankings, while Wisconsin enters the season believing its defense is more talented, experienced and confident than it was a year ago.
"It's just a great opportunity to compete at the highest level against a great team," quarterback Colton Joseph said. "I wouldn't want anything else."
Joseph, who has previous experience playing in big environments against teams such as Indiana and Virginia Tech, said those games have helped him become more comfortable when the crowd grows and the stakes rise.
But even he acknowledged there is something different about Lambeau.
"That place is beautiful," Joseph said. "I love all the historic background that it has and the significance of all that."
The significance is even more personal for the Wisconsin natives on the roster.
Jung, a Neenah native, remembers watching the Packers and wearing jerseys of Aaron Rodgers, Davante Adams and Jordy Nelson as a kid.
"You dream of playing in Camp Randall and Lambeau Field," Jung said. "So being able to play in Lambeau in a Wisconsin uniform wearing the Motion W, it's special to a lot of guys on the team."
Jung expects a large contingent of family and friends to make the trip. The opportunity had been on his mind since he committed to Wisconsin, when friends immediately reminded him that he would get to face Notre Dame at Lambeau.
Gavin Lahm has an even closer connection to the stadium.
The Badgers kicker is a Kaukauna native whose grandparents are Packers season-ticket holders. He grew up attending games at Lambeau and said playing there is a "dream come true."
Lahm has already sought advice from current Packers kicker Trey Smack, whom he met through kicking camps. Smack gave him a simple approach for handling Lambeau's conditions.
Pick a spot and hit the ball there.
"Don't think about anything else," Lahm said, recalling Smack's advice.
That has become Lahm's approach as he prepares for the moment.
"If you really think about it, every kick is a straight kick," Lahm said. "Whether what circumstance it's in, what situation, if you just think about it like that, like it's just a straight line, then the situation really doesn't matter."
Lahm won't be the only Wisconsin player with a childhood connection to the stadium.
Catalano, a Richfield native, said he has attended more than 10 Packers games with family and friends. He remembers learning months before committing to Wisconsin that the Badgers would eventually play at Lambeau.
Now the moment is finally here.
"It's really cool," Catalano said. "Players and a lot of famous coaches have been on that field, so it could be a really cool experience."
Schaefer, a Sturgeon Bay native, also grew up a Packers fan and remembers attending games at Lambeau, including a playoff game against San Francisco.
He knows the reality of playing there could be different from anything he has experienced.
"You try and envision it, but it's one of those things where you get there and that's going to be the first time you kind of ... it's gonna be shocking for everyone," Schaefer said. "It's going to have butterflies."
Bork, an Oconomowoc native, remembers walking onto the Lambeau field as a toddler and attending Packers Family Night with his parents.
Now he'll return as a college football player.
"It's gonna be super surreal," Bork said. "As a Packer fan growing up, I've always wanted to play on that field."
The players know the Lambeau storyline can become a distraction if they allow it.
That's particularly true with Notre Dame on the other sideline.
Schaefer said the key is creating an "invisible box" around the players and focusing only on their assignments.
"You just have to focus on your job and play your best," Schaefer said.
Catalano said Wisconsin's coaching staff has done a good job keeping the team focused on the opponent rather than the spectacle surrounding the game.
"I think we've got a mature defense, a mature team as well, so I think all those distractions aren't going to affect us," Catalano said.
The Badgers' confidence largely comes from what they believe has changed since last season.
Catalano said Wisconsin is "a lot more talented" and that players have bought into what Head Coach Luke Fickell and his staff have preached throughout the offseason.
Schaefer described the team with three words: "tough, nasty and disciplined."
Jung pointed to the defense's development throughout spring and fall camp. He said the unit is playing faster, reacting to motions and checks with less hesitation and anticipating plays rather than thinking through every step.
That will be critical against a Notre Dame offense led by a quarterback Jung described as one of the smartest in the country.
Wisconsin's defense expects Notre Dame to try to manipulate its looks and find favorable matchups. Jung said the Badgers will need to disguise their coverages and stay a step ahead.
The defensive goal is straightforward.
"We're gonna stop the run and we're gonna ultimately limit explosives and not let teams beat us down the field," Jung said.
On offense, the Badgers believe their tight ends could play a significant role against Notre Dame's experienced defensive front.
Bork said Wisconsin has multiple tight ends capable of making plays at different levels of the field, giving offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes flexibility to rotate personnel and create different looks.
He also believes the game will be decided in the trenches.
Notre Dame's defensive line is experienced, Bork said, but Wisconsin plans to meet that physicality head-on.
"If we can go out there and out-physical them on their side of the ball ... I think we're gonna do a good job," Bork said.
Joseph said the passing game has developed throughout fall camp, with improved protection, route timing and chemistry between the quarterback, receivers and running backs.
He also dismissed the idea that Notre Dame's personnel should force Wisconsin to shy away from certain areas of the field.
The Badgers intend to run their offense and trust their players.
"We're gonna play our offense," Joseph said. "We're gonna play our guys and play our best matchups."
That confidence extends beyond the offense.
"There's no better way to test where we are and see the gap that we've closed since last year," Jung said.
Catalano pointed to Wisconsin's most recent game at Lambeau Field as an example of what a victory over a highly ranked opponent can mean. The Badgers beat No. 5 LSU 16-14 at Lambeau in 2016, a victory that helped them to an 11-3 season.
"They had the same opportunity that kind of propelled them to have a great year and then obviously set up success for the following year," Catalano said.
For the Wisconsin players who grew up within driving distance of Green Bay, there will be an added layer to the night.
But once the ball is kicked off, the spectacle has to disappear.
Joseph put it most simply: "It's really just 11 on 11."
For Wisconsin, those 11 will have a chance to show how far the program has come — against the No. 4 team in the country, on one of football's most iconic fields.
Wisconsin vs. Notre Dame kicks off at 6:30 p.m. Central time Sunday at Lambeau Field in Green Bay. The game will be broadcast on NBC 26.
