Earlier this week, both Wisconsin head coach Luke Fickell and quarterback Colton Joseph jammed their feet in their mouths pretty impressively when discussing Leonard Moore.
Just a few days later, Notre Dame defensive coordinator Chris Ash had the perfect response. It summed up nicely what most Fighting Irish fans have thought since the pair decided Leonard Moore wasn’t someone they should avoid in their offensive game plan.
"Well, they have a game plan. They have to execute it. Good luck to ‘em."
Sure feels like there was a lot of meaning behind the Notre Dame coach wishing them good luck. It didn’t just seem like a personal courtesy to the opposition. Think of it more like the good luck that Mike Tyson’s opponents would get right before they stepped in the ring, talking about how they were going to be the ones to take him down.
Chris Ash was asked if he had any thoughts about Luke Fickell's commentary about how Wisconsin has to at least try to throw at Leonard Moore to keep the Irish defense honest.
— Pete Sampson (@PeteSampson_) September 3, 2026
"Well, they have a game plan. They have to execute it. Good luck to ‘em."
Notre Dame football has every reason to welcome Wisconsin’s aggressive game plan
On Friday, Ash went into more detail about what he expects to see from Fickell and Joseph as they try to attack his defense on Sunday evening. Specifically, Ash knows that his gang will have their work cut out for them in bottling up Joseph. The former Old Dominion quarterback is considered a weapon for Wisconsin because he can run the ball as well as throw it.
"He's going to get out. Most athletic quarterbacks in the course of the game do get out, but we've got to limit those opportunities, and then just make sure that we're doing a great job on the coverage part of this. So if he does get out, you know we can rally and pursue and make sure that we take care of our coverage."
On the other hand, Ash isn’t particularly scared of the Badgers’ mobile quarterback. In fact, he pointed to Notre Dame’s game against Arkansas last year. The defensive coordinator correctly pointed out that they faced one of the fastest quarterbacks in the country last year in Tayen Green.
Even though Green got his yards on the ground (81 yards to be precise), it was the coverage where Green struggled, completing just 17 of 32 passes for just over 200 yards, no touchdowns, and an interception.
“So this isn't new or unique,” The Notre Dame defensive coordinator added. “Doesn't mean that we're ready for the challenge yet. We've got work to do, but our players understand how hard this is going to be."
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