The Wisconsin football team's final non-conference game of the season is here. The Badgers (1-1) take on the Eastern Michigan Eagles (1-2) on Saturday.
After a 36-9 win over FCS Western Illinois, we didn’t leave with many answers about what this team is. Are they as good as we saw in the first half of the Notre Dame game, or was that a fluke? They didn’t exactly light the world on fire against Western Illinois, either.
This game against Eastern Michigan gives them one last chance to fine-tune things and build momentum heading into the conference slate next week.
Here’s the opponent preview for the Week 3 matchup between Wisconsin Badgers and the Eastern Michigan Eagles.
Wisconsin vs. Western Illinois game info and betting odds
When: Saturday, Sept. 19th — 11:30 a.m. CT
Where: Camp Randall Stadium, Madison, Wis.
How to watch: Peacock
How to listen: Badger Radio Network
Wisconsin enters its Week 3 matchup as a three-touchdown favorite over the Eagles. FanDuel lists the Badgers as 24.5-point favorites.
Spread: -24.5 (-115)
Moneyline: -4000
Over/under: 45.5 points
Opposing players to know
• QB Noah Kim
The Eagles’ quarterback is no stranger to the Big Ten. Noah Kim spent the first three seasons of his college career with the Michigan State Spartans, where he played in 10 games and threw for 1,264 yards, nine touchdowns, and six interceptions while completing almost 60% of his passes.
Since then, Kim spent time at Coastal Carolina before landing at Eastern Michigan last season, where he threw for 18 touchdowns and 11 interceptions while scoring six rushing touchdowns in 2025.
This season, Kim hasn’t necessarily put up huge numbers through three games, but he’s been efficient. Kim has completed 63% of his passes, thrown for three touchdowns, and has one interception so far this season, while rushing for two touchdowns on just three attempts.
He may not be as mobile as Kennedy McGill, the Western Illinois quarterback who ran for 88 yards on the Badgers a week ago, but Kim can still make some plays with his legs.
• LB Zach Mowchan
It’s cliché, but Zach Mowchan is the ‘heart’ of the Eastern Michigan defense. The inside linebacker is the team’s leading tackler, and after Weeks 0 & 1 this season, he was among the nation’s leaders with 25 total tackles.
Last week against Michigan State, the Spartans neutralized the senior linebacker and limited his involvement. He finished with just five total tackles, all assisted. The Spartans gashed the Eagles on the ground, running for 258 yards. Wisconsin needs to replicate whatever the Spartans did last week.
While Mowchan stacks up tackles, he certainly isn’t perfect. According to PFF, Mowchan has a missed tackle rate of almost 10%. The Wisconsin running backs will have a chance to run on Saturday, but they’ll need to target No. 11 on defense.
Matchup history
The Badgers and Eagles have faced off four times before Saturday.
Wisconsin has the decisive edge in the series, winning all four games. The Badgers have outscored Eastern Michigan 135-16 in those games.
The most recent matchup between these two programs came in 2021, when the Badgers defeated the Eagles 34-7 at Camp Randall. Graham Mertz and Chase Wolf combined to throw for 166 yards and an interception.
Meanwhile, the Badgers’ running backs gashed the Eagles, running for 352 yards and four touchdowns. Chez Mellusi had 144 yards on 20 carries with a touchdown. Isaac Guerendo busted off an 82-yard touchdown run, and freshman running back Braelon Allen made his Wisconsin football debut, rushing for 30 yards on seven carries and a goal-line touchdown run for his first career touchdown.
We appreciate you taking the time to read our work at BadgerNotes.com. Your support means the world to us and has helped us become a leading independent source for Wisconsin Badgers coverage.
You can also follow Christian Borman on X at @christianborman.