- My Forums
- Tiger Rant
- LSU Recruiting
- SEC Rant
- Saints Talk
- Pelicans Talk
- More Sports Board
- Coaching Changes
- Fantasy Sports
- Golf Board
- Soccer Board
- O-T Lounge
- Tech Board
- Home/Garden Board
- Outdoor Board
- Health/Fitness Board
- Movie/TV Board
- Book Board
- Music Board
- Political Talk
- Money Talk
- Fark Board
- Gaming Board
- Travel Board
- Food/Drink Board
- Ticket Exchange
- TD Help Board
Customize My Forums- View All Forums
- Show Left Links
- Topic Sort Options
- Trending Topics
- Recent Topics
- Active Topics
Started By
Message

Significance of Denbrock leaving for Notre Dame?
Posted on 10/23/25 at 6:45 am
Posted on 10/23/25 at 6:45 am
What if Mike Denbrock had not left for Notre Dame, would the Offense be significantly better. Would the TE and O line play improve? In 2023 with Jayden his offense was the best in the country. Curious as to what the group thinks of the impact of his leaving. Inquiring minds want to know? 
Posted on 10/23/25 at 6:49 am to TigerPlate
Maybe if Kelly wouldn’t have forced Sloan on him as Co-OC he wouldn’t have left.
Posted on 10/23/25 at 6:53 am to TigerPlate
I don’t think it would have mattered much. You had Mason Taylor, JD5, Nabors, and BTJ all at the same time. You also had two great tackles on the edge. These guys made everybody, including Denbrock, look better than they were.
Posted on 10/23/25 at 6:54 am to TigerPlate
That’s Kelly’s first critical mistake. Not going to get a talented O-coordinator. His second was not hiring a quality D-coordinator. (Matt House)
Posted on 10/23/25 at 6:59 am to TigerPlate
Joe Sloan would have had to leave or be given the door for that to even been close to happening.
Posted on 10/23/25 at 7:03 am to TigerPlate
Hey, at least we kept Underwood…oh, wait…
Posted on 10/23/25 at 7:05 am to TigerPlate
The truth was Sloan was a lazy promotion. Hankton should have remained WR coach only, and Sloan at QB coach. If they didn’t like it he should have let them walk. We had just had one of the greatest offenses in recent college football. He could have easily found a great OC ready to get his hands on the talent we had.
Posted on 10/23/25 at 7:14 am to Demonbengal
quote:why.
Hankton should have remained WR coach only, and Sloan at QB coach
Turns out they may be bad at both those too.
Posted on 10/23/25 at 7:27 am to TigerPlate
Of course. I realize he was lucky to have Jayden here, but the guy is proven at multiple schools. His offenses have an identity.
Just look at the rushing stats. While Jayden likely skewed them, the bottom line is the run game was better. Guys like Diggs and a walk-on were effective a couple years ago etc.
When he left, the rushing numbers instantly went to the very bottom of the league, even though the 2024 OLine was better equipped than the 2023 OLine that Denbrock had.
LSU’s offense has no identity now, and that’s the worst part. It feels like true sandlot football where they think one play at a time. There is never projected confidence for what they are doing, which clearly shows from the first drive when any competent offense should have scheme advantages over a defense that they prepared for. Not us, we go 3-and-out. You can just tell the culture of awful on that side of the ball by how often they get mauled on the OLine off the snap.
Just look at the rushing stats. While Jayden likely skewed them, the bottom line is the run game was better. Guys like Diggs and a walk-on were effective a couple years ago etc.
When he left, the rushing numbers instantly went to the very bottom of the league, even though the 2024 OLine was better equipped than the 2023 OLine that Denbrock had.
LSU’s offense has no identity now, and that’s the worst part. It feels like true sandlot football where they think one play at a time. There is never projected confidence for what they are doing, which clearly shows from the first drive when any competent offense should have scheme advantages over a defense that they prepared for. Not us, we go 3-and-out. You can just tell the culture of awful on that side of the ball by how often they get mauled on the OLine off the snap.
Posted on 10/23/25 at 7:30 am to TigerPlate
I thought that Kelly's choice to replace Denbrock would define his tenure at LSU and still think that's going to be the case. He had time to fix the House mess, but I thought if he botched the OC hire, he'd be too far into his time here to fix that. While losing stinks, it's the way we've lost that's problematic for Kelly. There's no clear progression in the culture or the team's performance and I think that is what gets coaches fired. To be in year 4 and have an offense that looks completely overmatched when playing mid-tier teams, given the talent on the roster and the $ being spent is the kind of thing that gets coaches fired.
Posted on 10/23/25 at 8:10 am to coolpapaboze
There is no question the offense as a whole would be better under Denbrock. It would still be flawed with Nuss and the OL no doubt. BK’s big problem is not moving on from House and Sloan quickly enough. Saban went through a lot of coordinators and when he got one that wasn’t working out like he wanted they were gone. They would get one season to show what they could do. You can’t afford to screw around with someone if you’re trying to win at a high level and Saban knew that.
Posted on 10/23/25 at 8:28 am to Bring Da Wood
quote:
BK’s big problem is not moving on from House and Sloan quickly enough
That's easy to say with the benefit of hindsight.
However, in 2022 it was the defense that carried the team to multiple victories that year. Fans remember the 2023 offense but seem to forget Daniels struggled at times in 2022 and MANY on here wanted him benched for the current QB.
Last year LSU had a top 20 offense (total offense). It was the defense that, more often than not, had the struggles. While there were certainly flaws with the offense (horrible running game approach; struggles in the RZ; inexplicable attacking then abandoning the middle of the field in the passing game), it wasn't a "bad" offense.
In neither case was there reason to expect either unit would fall off so drastically the following year. So I don't think it fair to say there was clear evidence at the time that Kelly should have moved on from either coordinator. What's more accurate is Kelly and his staff weren't proactive in identifying and accepting the potential weaknesses ahead of the following year and being proactive to get ahead of them.
This year's offense has talent. But like any team, it also has weaknesses. Yet, the offensive approach is EXACTLY the same from last year. LSU didn't address any of their weaknesses. It appears the staff, including Kelly, doesn't think there is anything wrong with the overall approach. They think the guys just aren't executing it well. When 13, 14, 17 difference players aren't executing well it's not a THEM problem. It's a YOU problem
Posted on 10/23/25 at 8:36 am to TigerPlate
Obviously huge, we suck on offense. Sloan is a chicken shite calling plays.
Posted on 10/23/25 at 8:42 am to TigerPlate
Or maybe it is because he is 61 and has spent most of his career in the Great Lakes region?
Posted on 10/23/25 at 8:44 am to TigerPlate
Yeah! Kelly has proven that he is a poor judge of assistants as well as players talent.
Posted on 10/23/25 at 9:16 am to Gus007
It is frustrating that he made a good OC hire that was proven and at the same hired a DC that was inexperienced as a DC.
Then he made a good DC hire and promoted an inexperienced OC. Why is he deciding to hire an experienced coordinator on one side of the ball and inexperienced on the other.
So we have to hope that Baker stays and BK hires a quality OC. Not too mention keeping qbs.
Then he made a good DC hire and promoted an inexperienced OC. Why is he deciding to hire an experienced coordinator on one side of the ball and inexperienced on the other.
So we have to hope that Baker stays and BK hires a quality OC. Not too mention keeping qbs.
Posted on 10/23/25 at 9:22 am to Demonbengal
quote:
I don’t think it would have mattered much. You had Mason Taylor, JD5, Nabors, and BTJ all at the same time. You also had two great tackles on the edge. These guys made everybody, including Denbrock, look better than they were.
Idk Nussmeier looked a lot better when Denbrock was here
Posted on 10/23/25 at 9:48 am to Yeti_Chaser
Nuss had a decent OL last year. This year he is scared in the pocket and then factor in his injury. Im willing to give some space Nuss considering his injury and terrible OL. Then you have an OC that doesnt know how to plan or call plays to help a poor OL.
Posted on 10/23/25 at 9:59 am to HighRoller
quote:
Maybe if Kelly wouldn’t have forced Sloan on him as Co-OC he wouldn’t have left.
Is there any proof of this claim?
Posted on 10/23/25 at 11:00 am to burreauxxx
quote:
There is never projected confidence for what they are doing, which clearly shows from the first drive when any competent offense should have scheme advantages over a defense that they prepared for. Not us, we go 3-and-out.
You make a good point. It seems there a statistics for every aspect of CFB. OTOH, i've never seen a stat for a team's percentage of three and outs vs TDs vs FGs on it's first drive of the game. It seems like we've scored on the first drive of game very few times. Conversely, those should be some of your most productive drives.
Popular
Back to top


15









