Where Notre Dame struggled the most in 2023
Notre Dame seemed to go into many crucial games last season with an offensive plan that was ineffective for a variety of reasons, from a strong defense to a limited roster of offensive players.
This ineffectiveness against stronger defenders meant that a different attacking strategy had to be adopted during the game.
This whole process did not go well for Irish OC Gerad Parker. The game plans were boring, limited, and too predictable to be successful against the better teams on the schedule, resulting in an average point total of under 20 in these games.
Worse, when Notre Dame was in trouble, there was little change. And the changes that were made didn’t solve problems – in fact, they often made them worse. This whole frustrating process ultimately resulted in three ugly defeats on the Irish record.
“That’s how I see Jayden and that’s how I see Riley”
Mike Denbrock was asked how he sees Riley Leonard’s potential and how he plans to incorporate that into his offensive scheme. Denbrock compared the process to his two years with last year’s Heisman winner Jayden Daniels. pic.twitter.com/CCzpEN2QnQ
— LeVon Whittaker TV (@levonwhitt_tv) 24 August 2024
Mike Denbrock has seen everything and is not panicking
With Gerad Parker as the new head coach in Troy, Notre Dame has a chance to reboot and restructure its offensive mindset and approach. New OC Mike Denbrock has seen it all, folks.
This is his third tenure at Notre Dame and he has been through every type of offensive and defensive battle imaginable. He will be prepared for whatever comes his way and will have an answer for it.
I’m convinced that Denbrock will develop better game plans for the Irish with each game, but that may not be the most important part of the dynamic.
I believe Denbrock’s ability to adjust the game plan mid-game will be invaluable for Notre Dame. He has a great feel for offensive football and not only knows when changes are needed, but can transition to something more effective.
Because of these skills, Notre Dame has made Denbrock the highest-paid OC in the country, and it will pay off immediately, starting with the matchup against Texas A&M.
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