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Watch: Notre Dame recovers fumbled kickoff against Wisconsin
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- Watch: Notre Dame recovers fumbled kickoff against Wisconsin
The No. 4 Notre Dame Fighting Irish may have gotten a gift against the Wisconsin Badgers , but they'll take it.
After kicker Spencer Porath drilled a 52-yard field goal to tie the game at three, Notre Dame was kicking off to the Badgers when Harrison Bortolotti fumbled the kickoff return and Fighting Irish linebacker Kahanu Kia recovered it at the Wisconsin 13.
Notre Dame football junior Guerby Lambert, left, and freshman Charlie Thom work in an offensive lineman drill during a practice Friday, Aug. 7, 2026, at the Irish Athletics Center in South Bend.
(Austin Hough / South Bend Tribune)
Notre Dame football junior Kedren Young runs in between yellow cans during a practice Friday, Aug. 7, 2026, at the Irish Athletics Center in South Bend.
(Austin Hough / South Bend Tribune)
Notre Dame football freshman Devin Fitzgerald (11) runs to avoid a tackle from freshman Joey O'Brien during a practice Friday, Aug. 7, 2026, at the Irish Athletics Center in South Bend.
(Austin Hough / South Bend Tribune)
Notre Dame football head coach Marcus Freeman in the warmup line during a practice Friday, Aug. 7, 2026, at the Irish Athletics Center in South Bend.
(Austin Hough / South Bend Tribune)
Notre Dame football sophomore Owen Strebig, left, works with freshman Charlie Thom in a drill during a practice Friday, Aug. 7, 2026, at the Irish Athletics Center in South Bend.
(Austin Hough / South Bend Tribune)
Notre Dame football sophomore Will Black, left, and freshman Grayson McKeough work through an offensive lineman drill during a practice Friday, Aug. 7, 2026, at the Irish Athletics Center in South Bend.
(Austin Hough / South Bend Tribune)
Notre Dame football special teams coordinator Marty Biagi, right, talks with freshman Devin Fitzgerald during a practice Friday, Aug. 7, 2026, at the Irish Athletics Center in South Bend.
(Austin Hough / South Bend Tribune)
Notre Dame football team huddles up during a practice Friday, Aug. 7, 2026, at the Irish Athletics Center in South Bend.
(Austin Hough / South Bend Tribune)
Notre Dame football junior Logan Saldate catches a pass during a practice Friday, Aug. 7, 2026, at the Irish Athletics Center in South Bend.
(Austin Hough / South Bend Tribune)
Notre Dame sophomore Jerome Bettis Jr. catches a pass in a wide receiver drill during a practice Friday, Aug. 7, 2026, at the Irish Athletics Center in South Bend.
(Austin Hough / South Bend Tribune)
Notre Dame football junior Xavier Southall works through a wide receiver drill during a practice Friday, Aug. 7, 2026, at the Irish Athletics Center in South Bend.
(Austin Hough / South Bend Tribune)
Notre Dame football junior CJ Carr (13) hands the ball off to junior Aneyas Williams in a drill during a practice Friday, Aug. 7, 2026, at the Irish Athletics Center in South Bend.
(Austin Hough / South Bend Tribune)
Notre Dame football freshman Austin Ratigan (89) walks into practice Friday, Aug. 7, 2026, at the Irish Athletics Center in South Bend.
(Austin Hough / South Bend Tribune)
A group of Notre Dame football players walk into practice Friday, Aug. 7, 2026, at the Irish Athletics Center in South Bend.
(Austin Hough / South Bend Tribune)
Notre Dame senior Jason Onye walks into practice Friday, Aug. 7, 2026, at the Irish Athletics Center in South Bend.
(Austin Hough / South Bend Tribune)
Notre Dame football senior Elijah Hughes walks into practice Friday, Aug. 7, 2026, at the Irish Athletics Center in South Bend.
(Austin Hough / South Bend Tribune)
Notre Dame football senior Adon Shuler (8) and quarterbacks coach Gino Guidugli walk into practice Friday, Aug. 7, 2026, at the Irish Athletics Center in South Bend.
(Austin Hough / South Bend Tribune)
Notre Dame senior Ty Washington walks into practice Friday, Aug. 7, 2026, at the Irish Athletics Center in South Bend.
(Austin Hough / South Bend Tribune)
Notre Dame special teams coordinator Marty Biagi walks into practice Friday, Aug. 7, 2026, at the Irish Athletics Center in South Bend.
(Austin Hough / South Bend Tribune)
Notre Dame junior Bryce Young (95) walk into practice during a practice Friday, Aug. 7, 2026, at the Irish Athletics Center in South Bend.
(Austin Hough / South Bend Tribune)
Notre Dame freshman Teddy Jarrard walks into practice Friday, Aug. 7, 2026, at the Irish Athletics Center in South Bend.
(Austin Hough / South Bend Tribune)
Notre Dame junior Tionne Gray walks into practice Friday, Aug. 7, 2026, at the Irish Athletics Center in South Bend.
(Austin Hough / South Bend Tribune)
Notre Dame athletic director Pete Bevacqua, left, talks with people during a football practice Friday, Aug. 7, 2026, at the Irish Athletics Center in South Bend.
(Austin Hough / South Bend Tribune)
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See photos from Notre Dame football practice on August 7, 2026
Notre Dame football junior Guerby Lambert, left, and freshman Charlie Thom work in an offensive lineman drill during a practice Friday, Aug. 7, 2026, at the Irish Athletics Center in South Bend.
(Austin Hough / South Bend Tribune)
1
/23
See photos from Notre Dame football practice on August 7, 2026
Notre Dame football junior Guerby Lambert, left, and freshman Charlie Thom work in an offensive lineman drill during a practice Friday, Aug. 7, 2026, at the Irish Athletics Center in South Bend.
(Austin Hough / South Bend Tribune)
2
/23
See photos from Notre Dame football practice on August 7, 2026
Notre Dame football junior Kedren Young runs in between yellow cans during a practice Friday, Aug. 7, 2026, at the Irish Athletics Center in South Bend.
(Austin Hough / South Bend Tribune)
3
/23
See photos from Notre Dame football practice on August 7, 2026
Notre Dame football freshman Devin Fitzgerald (11) runs to avoid a tackle from freshman Joey O'Brien during a practice Friday, Aug. 7, 2026, at the Irish Athletics Center in South Bend.
(Austin Hough / South Bend Tribune)
4
/23
See photos from Notre Dame football practice on August 7, 2026
Notre Dame football head coach Marcus Freeman in the warmup line during a practice Friday, Aug. 7, 2026, at the Irish Athletics Center in South Bend.
(Austin Hough / South Bend Tribune)
5
/23
See photos from Notre Dame football practice on August 7, 2026
Notre Dame football sophomore Owen Strebig, left, works with freshman Charlie Thom in a drill during a practice Friday, Aug. 7, 2026, at the Irish Athletics Center in South Bend.
(Austin Hough / South Bend Tribune)
6
/23
See photos from Notre Dame football practice on August 7, 2026
Notre Dame football sophomore Will Black, left, and freshman Grayson McKeough work through an offensive lineman drill during a practice Friday, Aug. 7, 2026, at the Irish Athletics Center in South Bend.
(Austin Hough / South Bend Tribune)
7
/23
See photos from Notre Dame football practice on August 7, 2026
Notre Dame football special teams coordinator Marty Biagi, right, talks with freshman Devin Fitzgerald during a practice Friday, Aug. 7, 2026, at the Irish Athletics Center in South Bend.
(Austin Hough / South Bend Tribune)
8
/23
See photos from Notre Dame football practice on August 7, 2026
Notre Dame football team huddles up during a practice Friday, Aug. 7, 2026, at the Irish Athletics Center in South Bend.
(Austin Hough / South Bend Tribune)
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/23
See photos from Notre Dame football practice on August 7, 2026
Notre Dame football junior Logan Saldate catches a pass during a practice Friday, Aug. 7, 2026, at the Irish Athletics Center in South Bend.
(Austin Hough / South Bend Tribune)
10
/23
See photos from Notre Dame football practice on August 7, 2026
Notre Dame sophomore Jerome Bettis Jr. catches a pass in a wide receiver drill during a practice Friday, Aug. 7, 2026, at the Irish Athletics Center in South Bend.
(Austin Hough / South Bend Tribune)
11
/23
See photos from Notre Dame football practice on August 7, 2026
Notre Dame football junior Xavier Southall works through a wide receiver drill during a practice Friday, Aug. 7, 2026, at the Irish Athletics Center in South Bend.
(Austin Hough / South Bend Tribune)
12
/23
See photos from Notre Dame football practice on August 7, 2026
Notre Dame football junior CJ Carr (13) hands the ball off to junior Aneyas Williams in a drill during a practice Friday, Aug. 7, 2026, at the Irish Athletics Center in South Bend.
(Austin Hough / South Bend Tribune)
13
/23
See photos from Notre Dame football practice on August 7, 2026
Notre Dame football freshman Austin Ratigan (89) walks into practice Friday, Aug. 7, 2026, at the Irish Athletics Center in South Bend.
(Austin Hough / South Bend Tribune)
14
/23
See photos from Notre Dame football practice on August 7, 2026
A group of Notre Dame football players walk into practice Friday, Aug. 7, 2026, at the Irish Athletics Center in South Bend.
(Austin Hough / South Bend Tribune)
15
/23
See photos from Notre Dame football practice on August 7, 2026
Notre Dame senior Jason Onye walks into practice Friday, Aug. 7, 2026, at the Irish Athletics Center in South Bend.
(Austin Hough / South Bend Tribune)
16
/23
See photos from Notre Dame football practice on August 7, 2026
Notre Dame football senior Elijah Hughes walks into practice Friday, Aug. 7, 2026, at the Irish Athletics Center in South Bend.
(Austin Hough / South Bend Tribune)
17
/23
See photos from Notre Dame football practice on August 7, 2026
Notre Dame football senior Adon Shuler (8) and quarterbacks coach Gino Guidugli walk into practice Friday, Aug. 7, 2026, at the Irish Athletics Center in South Bend.
(Austin Hough / South Bend Tribune)
18
/23
See photos from Notre Dame football practice on August 7, 2026
Notre Dame senior Ty Washington walks into practice Friday, Aug. 7, 2026, at the Irish Athletics Center in South Bend.
(Austin Hough / South Bend Tribune)
19
/23
See photos from Notre Dame football practice on August 7, 2026
Notre Dame special teams coordinator Marty Biagi walks into practice Friday, Aug. 7, 2026, at the Irish Athletics Center in South Bend.
(Austin Hough / South Bend Tribune)
20
/23
See photos from Notre Dame football practice on August 7, 2026
Notre Dame junior Bryce Young (95) walk into practice during a practice Friday, Aug. 7, 2026, at the Irish Athletics Center in South Bend.
(Austin Hough / South Bend Tribune)
21
/23
See photos from Notre Dame football practice on August 7, 2026
Notre Dame freshman Teddy Jarrard walks into practice Friday, Aug. 7, 2026, at the Irish Athletics Center in South Bend.
(Austin Hough / South Bend Tribune)
22
/23
See photos from Notre Dame football practice on August 7, 2026
Notre Dame junior Tionne Gray walks into practice Friday, Aug. 7, 2026, at the Irish Athletics Center in South Bend.
(Austin Hough / South Bend Tribune)
23
/23
See photos from Notre Dame football practice on August 7, 2026
Notre Dame athletic director Pete Bevacqua, left, talks with people during a football practice Friday, Aug. 7, 2026, at the Irish Athletics Center in South Bend.
(Austin Hough / South Bend Tribune)
Upon official replay review, it appeared that Kia didn't have possession as he slid out of bounds, but the referees upheld the call on the field. It wasn't the only controversial replay this weekend.
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The play set the Irish up for what would be the games first touchdown.
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This article originally appeared on Fighting Irish Wire: Watch: Notre Dame recovers fumbled kickoff against Wisconsin
