Notre Dame Football: 3 takeaways from massive win over No. 18 Wisconsin

1. Notre Dame’s defense is elite

There’s no doubt about it, Notre Dame’s defense is elite.

Marcus Freeman took over the defense from Clark Lea in the offseason and the Irish haven’t missed a beat on that side of the ball. His defense held Wisconsin in check all afternoon long outside of one long drive in the third quarter which led to the game-tying touchdown.

Graham Mertz was feeling the pressure all afternoon long, though, and the Badgers couldn’t gain any momentum on that side of the ball. The Wisconsin quarterback had a forgettable day outside of a few solid throws, completing just 18-of-41 passes for 240 yards, a touchdown, and four picks — two pick-sixes. He also had a crucial fumble in the fourth quarter near midfield on a strip-sack.

The Irish defense deserves more respect and this performance against the Badgers was proof of that. They looked like the ’85 Bears out there at Soldier Field and didn’t let Wisconsin beat them down the field.

Freeman is going to be a head coach somewhere before we know it, especially if his defense continues to play like it did against Wisconsin.