Tag: Mike Denbrock

Is LSU OC Joe Sloan a candidate for the East Carolina job?

A top LSU assistant could be in the mix for a G5 head coaching job.

The 2024 coaching carousel has begun. A few jobs are already open, including East Carolina. The Pirates moved on from head coach Mike Houston after a 3-4 start.

It’s early in the process, but a few names are already being thrown out there, including LSU offensive coordinator [autotag]Joe Sloan[/autotag].

Sloan played at ECU from 2005-08. He got his coaching start as an assistant at South Florida before a lengthy stint at Louisiana Tech, where he rose to OC.

When [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] arrived at LSU, he tabbed Sloan to coach the quarterbacks. The results were immediate, with Sloan developing [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag] into a Heisman winning QB. He’s made progress with [autotag]Garrett Nussmeier[/autotag] this year and is one of the sports’ top recruiters, locking in a commitment from No. 1 overall prospect [autotag]Bryce Underwood[/autotag].

Sloan was promoted to LSU’s OC in December after [autotag]Mike Denbrock[/autotag] left for Notre Dame. Sloan is just 37 and his recent work with LSU’s QBs in the building and on the recruiting trail has made him a hot name.

LSU’s offense isn’t the same machine it was last year, but the Tigers are still putting up good numbers.

If Sloan was offered the job, there’s some doubt about whether he’d take it. An SEC coordinating spot isn’t that different than a G5 head coaching salary. And Sloan’s current check comes without the headache of navigating the portal and NIL, something that’s tough to do at a program of ECU’s caliber.

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Notre Dame OC Mike Denbrock thinks there another level to QB Riley Leonard’s game

Could Leonard be on the verge of a breakout?

Over the course of his first five games as the Notre Dame Fighting Irish starting quarterback, [autotag]Riley Leonard[/autotag] has made some positive progression.

Irish offensive coordinator [autotag]Mike Denbrock[/autotag] believes that his starter is just scratching the surface of his potential, as he explained on Tuesday night during his media availability.

When ask about Leonard, Denbrock explained that “we’ve seen glimpses of what it can really turn into and become here. And we’re at about the point in the season where it’s time for that to kick into gear.”

Leonard’s has improved in multiple areas, as his completion percentage has made a jump from the 60% he had against Texas A&M to 73.9% against Louisville.

That’s clearly a big difference, as has been his ball security. After throwing two picks against Northern Illinois, he’s been able to stay away from giving the ball to the other team, while getting his first three passing touchdowns over the course of the Irish’s last two games.

How Notre Dame changed its offensive game-plan to rout Purdue
Sep 7, 2024; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish Offensive Coordinator Mike Denbrock watches warmups before the game against the Northern Illinois Huskies at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-Imagn Images

If Denbrock is correct, then this Irish offense could be off to the races during the second-half of the season with Leonard being the catalyst.

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The inevitable has happened, Deuce Knight has flipped from Notre Dame

Knight has finally officially moved on from the Irish

For months we have been waiting to see where Notre Dame football 2025 quarterback [autotag]Deuce Knight[/autotag] would ultimately end up.

Unfortunately, the smoke to the Auburn Tigers was true, as the lefty flipped his verbal from the Irish on Wednesday evening. This is a big blow to Notre Dame’s efforts in the cycle, as they do not have another quarterback commitment as of right now.

The nation’s No. 29 overall prospect according to the 247Sports Composite Rankings had just officially visited the Tigers this past weekend. He never made it back to South Bend following his official visit in mid-June.

Knight was at the head of multiple prospects in-class recruitment, but he will not join any of them playing for the Irish. With the news, Notre Dame’s 247Sports Composite class ranking took a hit, going from No. 10 to No. 13.

It won’t easy for the Irish to replace Knight, as the majority of top quarterback prospects have already made their decisions. We will see how head coach [autotag]Marcus Freeman[/autotag] and offensive coordinator [autotag]Mike Denbrock[/autotag] handle the situation.

Deuce Knight will once again not be visiting Notre Dame this weekend
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How Notre Dame changed its offensive game-plan to rout Purdue

Did Denbrock figure it out against Purdue?

Through the first two games of this season, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish offense had issues finding the end zone.

In the season opener against Texas A&M, the Irish scored 24 points, followed by an extremely disappointing 14 points which turned out to be a huge factor in Northern Illinois upset. Only 16 points were allowed by the defense, which is more than good enough for a victory.

Notre Dame did a complete 180-degree turn against Purdue, as the offense accounted for 59 of its 66 points on the day. The effort was much different than we had seen, and it had to do a lot with how offensive coordinator [autotag]Mike Denbrock[/autotag] called the game.

Notre Dame Football Stats & Analytics X account broke down the play calling against Purdue, and the differences were obvious. The Irish had significant upticks in play action, motion and snap motion rate last Saturday. With their play action rate, the offense more than tripled the plays going from 9% in the first two games, to a whopping 28%.

Notre Dame goes up in ESPN’s Football Power Index after Purdue blowout
WEST LAFAYETTE, INDIANA – SEPTEMBER 14: Jeremiyah Love #4 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish runs the ball for a touchdown during the first half against the Purdue Boilermakers at Ross-Ade Stadium on September 14, 2024 in West Lafayette, Indiana. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images)

Motion rate saw a spike from 49% to 67%, and this was huge in my eyes. It gives quarterback Riley Leonard his first read of the defense when someone goes in motion. Having a pre-snap read of the defensive set, either man or zone, is huge for a quarterback to help process information, and it’s no coincidence we saw Leonard have his best game of the year against Purdue.

As for the snap motion rate, it almost doubled from 15% to 29%, which again helps Leonard. Hopefully Denbrock has found a groove with his play calling and will continue it throughout the rest of the year.

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This stat highlights one of the issues with Notre Dame’s offense

Do you think the Irish need to have more of these kinds of play inside their offense?

It’s pretty easy to see what the weak link in Notre Dame football’s offense is, the passing game.

Through two games, the Irish have yet to throw for a touchdown, while accounting for just 321 yards through the air. The injury quarterback Riley Leonard sustained against Northern Illinois could have been a factor, but there are others reasons as well.

According to research done by the Notre Dame Football Stats & Analytics X account, they pointed out that the Irish are almost dead last in play action rate, ranking No. 133 out of 134 total teams.

It’s odd that Notre Dame hasn’t used this often, as the running backs have done a great job so far this season, which should open up this aspect of the offense.

By adding more play-action to the offense, it should put an opposing defense into worse scenarios. Does the safety come up and try to stop a rushing attack that has averaged over 5 yards-per-carry or do they stay back and try to defend the pass?

Offensive coordinator [autotag]Mike Denbrock[/autotag] needs to have this part of his offense as a much more focal point. Otherwise, we will keep seeing results like we did this past weekend.

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A must-see inside look at Notre Dame’s game-winning drives vs. Texas A&M

A thing of beauty

Notre Dame football’s social media team is one of the best in the nation, and on Monday, they released yet another must watch video for Irish fans after this weekends huge victory.

The almost 3-minute clip went through the last three drives of game, with the exception of Texas A&M’s final possession with just 30-seconds left and the game already in hand.

An inside look at what [autotag]Marcus Freeman[/autotag], [autotag]Mike Denbrock[/autotag], and some players reacting in the moment as the Irish closed out the game. While I’m sure we will get a much longer look at this when the next few episodes of “Here Come the Irish” are released, but this will at least quench our thirst a bit until then.

https://twitter.com/NDFootball/status/1830588588259745929

The inside look at the Irish is something that many of us love to see. Especially when everything works out in Notre Dame’s favor.

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Will LSU’s offense regress under new coordinator Joe Sloan?

LSU’s new offensive coordinator steps into the spotlight against USC.

Following the departure of Mike Denbrock, the architect of statistically the best 2023 offense in college football, LSU faces questions on offense. USC faces the Tigers on Sunday, and everyone will be watching. LouisianaSports.net’s Matt Moscona was quizzed by Trojans Wire about what to expect from the newly promoted quarterbacks coach, Joe Sloan, in his new role as offensive coordinator for LSU.

We discussed the LSU receiver room:

Wide receiver Chris Hilton might not play on Sunday against USC. That would be a notable injury absence if Hilton can’t play. We will obviously learn more about Hilton’s playing status in the days ahead, but for now, we don’t know.

How can LSU adjust to this situation, if indeed Hilton can’t play? We know that LSU is always stocked with difference makers outside.

This discussion appears at the 34:11 mark of Trojan Conquest Live on the USC Voice of College Football. Subscribe to, like, and share the USC channel at the Voice of College Football:

https://www.youtube.com/live/HFhEiA5zL0Y?si=BZ1Weuaz-5epwGRc&t=2051

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Could Mike Denbrock go with an old school offense to beat Texas A&M?

What kind of offense philosophy should the Irish use to beat A&M?

Many believe that Texas A&M’s strength is on the defensive line, but that won’t shy Notre Dame football away from testing them.

The Irish offense has been expected to take another step forward with the hire of offensive coordinator [autotag]Mike Denbrock[/autotag], as he returns to South Bend with a more impressive resume than when he left.

His offense at LSU was explosive, one that led the nation in scoring and produced a Heisman Trophy winner last season, but could we see something completely different on Saturday night?

On3’s J.D. Pickell is suggesting that Notre Dame go old school to beat the Aggies by running a triple-option.

While many call this now a RPO, run-pass-option, Pickell believes that quarterback [autotag]Riley Leonard[/autotag]’s running ability could be the x-factor in this game. He postulates that the Irish could put A&M in a position to have to make difficult choices on who to cover with this style.

If Notre Dame’s offense is this dynamic, it could mean very good things for the Irish this weekend.

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Mike Denbrock believes that Riley Leonard has built trust within the offense

It’s not bad to have similar qualities to a Heisman winner

One of the biggest aspects of an offense being able to operate at a high-level is trust, and it looks like Notre Dame quarterback [autotag]Riley Leonard[/autotag] is building that.

When meeting with the media, offensive coordinator [autotag]Mike Denbrock[/autotag] went into depth on the similarities that he has seen between former LSU star [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag] and his current quarterback. Both of them have earned the trust inside the offense, giving the Irish play caller confidence in whenever he calls.

You’ve seen it recently with Notre Dame, as Tommy Rees’ final season he never had the trust to let Tyler Buchner or Drew Pyne open the offense.

Denbrock’s trust in Daniels led to a Heisman Trophy and one of the most potent offenses in 2023. If that same trust is built with Leonard, the Irish offense is going to light up the scoreboard starting later this week.

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A defensive coordinator believes that Notre Dame’s offense under Riley Leonard will look like this Big 12 team

What do you think of this comp?

When Notre Dame football head coach Marcus Freeman lured [autotag]Mike Denbrock[/autotag] away from LSU, many believed the Irish offense would resemble the Tigers’.

That may not be the case. Personnel will dictate how Notre Dame looks in less than 10 days. ESPN took a look at each of the top 2024 quarterbacks in college football, and broke them down with some help from anonymous sources.

When talking about Riley Leonard, an unnamed defensive coordinator told them (subscription required) he believes the Irish offense will look more like when Denbrock was at Cincinnati with Desmond Ridder as opposed to LSU’s with Jayden Daniels.

The defensive coordinator didn’t say this had anything to do with Leonard’s skills. It is more a case that Notre Dame doesn’t “have the receivers they had at LSU.”

That’s a fair assessment. The Tigers were very talented at the position last fall.

While at Cincinnati from 2018-2021, Denbrock guided the offense to 38.1 average points per game. With the talent on those teams, those numbers are pretty impressive.

The hope is the Irish receivers take that next step and become closer to who Denbrock had in Baton Rouge, which would make Notre Dame’s offense more similar to LSU’s, even if the Bearcats’ totals aren’t all that terrible. That would be a great development.

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