No. 10 Notre Dame is resilient, but for how long?

SOUTH BEND, Ind. — It was a typical celebration after a pass breakup — a chest bump for Notre Dame safety Drue Tranquill as an acknowledgement for his outstanding play to keep Georgia Tech out of the end zone in the second quarter of the Irish's 30-22 win.

But as has been the case in too many situations in this young Notre Dame season, the celebration was a double-edged sword. Tranquill came down awkwardly on his right knee, crying out with a scream audible on the NBC television cameras. He returned to the Notre Dame Stadium playing surface in the second half with a leg immobilizer and crutches.

Heading into this game, Notre Dame had already lost five starters to injury, including quarterback Malik Zaire and running back Tarean Folston. It remains to be seen whether Tranquill will be No. 6.

"It doesn't look very good right now," Irish coach Brian Kelly said.

But even if Tranquill, too, is out for the season, the Irish showed, against all odds, that they might still be all right.

Georgia Tech and its famous triple option attack came into this game leading the nation with 8.5 yards per carry. The Irish (3-0) held the Yellow Jackets (2-1) to 4.6 yards per carry. Matthias Farley stepped up in place of Tranquill and forced a fumble to begin the second half that led to a field goal and forced Georgia Tech to play from two scores down. He joined a group of defensive stars that includes linebackers Jaylon Smith and Joe Schmidt, and defensive tackle Sheldon Day.

"It was like popcorn," Georgia Tech coach Paul Johnson said of his team. "One guy you'd get fixed, and the other guy would mess up."

Despite losing six of its playmakers, Notre Dame still has an astounding number of top-level players. Georgia Tech runs the option so well that opponents are often caught on their heels. But with the talent the Irish possess on defense, Notre Dame's front seven was able to swarm its assignments, even without three defensive starters.

"I think we were more aggressive than any defense we saw on film," Kelly said. "We wanted to give them different looks than they've seen before."

That's a luxury few teams have, especially any with so many injuries on both sides of the ball. Often times, teams go conservative after losing their top players, but Notre Dame has not.

Redshirt freshman quarterback DeShone Kizer, starting for the first time, danced around the pocket and launched a 46-yard touchdown pass on Notre Dame's second offensive possession to give the Irish a seven-point lead. It was a deep throw set up by the mid-range game, following the same strategy Notre Dame had so much success with under Zaire. Even without their star quarterback, the Irish are still aiming big, because they still can.

Of course, Kizer had help. Wide receiver Will Fuller is the one who caught that touchdown pass, and after the game, he's already up to 397 yards and five touchdowns on the season.

"You take a shot," Kizer said. "(The coaches) gave us all go's. Will Fuller is one of the best go route runners in the country. Threw it up for him, make it happen. There's nothing I can say I did amazing about it."

Kizer did a lot of name-dropping in his postgame press conference: his offensive line, which is living up to its billing as one of the nation's best, Fuller and wide receiver-turned-utility man-turned running back C.J. Prosise.

Prosise came into the season as a wildcard — a senior making a position switch from defensive back who was supposed to be an intriguing secondary option to Folston. Now, he's the featured back, and he's proving that he's more than capable as a first option, finishing with 198 yards and three touchdowns, including a 91-yarder that is tied for the longest run in Notre Dame Stadium history.

"When you go out there and get, almost by himself, the amount of yards Georgia Tech, a triple option team, has altogether, it's unreal," Kizer said of Prosise.

Just another playmaker, just another weapon.

"We're definitely up there with every other year we've had," Prosise said of Notre Dame's talent. "We definitely have some guys who can make some plays at every position, so I think so."

The season is only three weeks old, but it has been a roller coaster for Notre Dame, at least when it comes to national perception. From potential College Football Playoff contender after a blowout win for Texas, to an unknown after the injury to Zaire in a close win at Virginia, to possible contender once again after a dominating win against the 16th-ranked team in the country.

But perhaps Notre Dame was never out of contention, even though common logic suggests that a team with so many injuries should take a hit. Kelly said before the season that this was the deepest team than he's ever had in South Bend.

He's tested that theory more than he would have hoped, but he's proven himself right. This team has playmakers, and a few more to spare.

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