Notre Dame football left Lambeau Field with a convincing 41-13 victory over the Wisconsin Badgers, but the Fighting Irish didn’t escape without some concerning injuries.

Head coach Marcus Freeman and Notre Dame put together an imperfect performance, leading just 13-10 at halftime before a dominant 28-3 run in the second half sealed the win. While there are plenty of great takeaways from the contest, two key injuries deserve close attention.

Brauntae Johnson’s injury

Star redshirt safety Brauntae Johnson left the game in the first half with a lower body injury, and Freeman provided no update after the contest. Johnson is considered one of the very best safeties in all of college football, so it was troubling to see him leave, especially after he missed the final couple games of last season with an injury as well.

There is no indication yet of what the long-term prognosis will be, but Johnson was seen in a boot during and after the contest.

The good news is that Notre Dame has recruited the safety position as well as just about anybody in college football. When Johnson went out, senior Luke Talich was inserted into the lineup, and he did not miss a beat. While Talich isn’t the dynamic playmaker Johnson is, the 6-4, 220-pound athlete brings a ton of versatility to the table.

We could also see increased opportunities for sophomore Ethan Long and true freshman Joey O’Brien if Johnson misses time. Notre Dame has the depth to make things work without him, whether this turns out to be a short-term or long-term situation.

Jason Onye’s injury

Notre Dame also saw defensive tackle Jason Onye leave the contest with a lower extremity injury. Like Johnson, there was no update from Freeman after the game.

From early conversations, there does appear to be optimism that this will not be a long-term injury for Onye.

While Onye is a quality player, the defensive tackle room is as deep as it’s been in South Bend in a very long time. Transfers Tionne Gray and Francis Brewu were Notre Dame’s two best defensive tackles during the outing against Wisconsin. The team also has Armel Mukam, Elijah Hughes, and Sean Sevillano Jr. to add quality depth throughout.

Even without Onye, this is a strong five-man rotation. Notre Dame could also be getting Christopher Burgess back at some point around the middle of the season as he recovers from offseason surgery.

Notre Dame’s depth is what sets them apart

This is a testament to Freeman, defensive line coach Charlie Partridge, and new secondary coach Aaron Henry for the depth they’ve created at a couple of very key positions. It isn’t often that a team can lose players like Johnson and Onye and not miss a beat in a football game.

Notre Dame’s depth is what separates them. All of the Fighting Irish’s goals are still very much in front of them, and the hope is that these injuries are more short-term situations than anything else.