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Significance of Denbrock leaving for Notre Dame?

Posted on 10/23/25 at 6:45 am
Posted by TigerPlate
North Dallas
Member since Dec 2023
451 posts
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 by HighRoller
Baton Rouge
Member since Nov 2011
5296 posts
Posted on 10/23/25 at 6:49 am to
Maybe if Kelly wouldn’t have forced Sloan on him as Co-OC he wouldn’t have left.
Posted by Demonbengal
Ruston
Member since May 2015
4547 posts
Posted on 10/23/25 at 6:53 am to
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 by how333
Member since Dec 2020
3819 posts
Posted on 10/23/25 at 6:54 am to
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 by IM_4_LSU
Savannah, GA
Member since Mar 2014
11619 posts
Posted on 10/23/25 at 6:59 am to
Joe Sloan would have had to leave or be given the door for that to even been close to happening.
Posted by Tesla
the Laurentian Abyss
Member since Dec 2011
9035 posts
Posted on 10/23/25 at 7:03 am to
Hey, at least we kept Underwood…oh, wait…
Posted by Demonbengal
Ruston
Member since May 2015
4547 posts
Posted on 10/23/25 at 7:05 am to
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 by tigerfoot
Alexandria
Member since Sep 2006
60499 posts
Posted on 10/23/25 at 7:14 am to
quote:

Hankton should have remained WR coach only, and Sloan at QB coach
why.

Turns out they may be bad at both those too.
Posted by burreauxxx
Member since Dec 2019
5375 posts
Posted on 10/23/25 at 7:27 am to
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.
Posted by coolpapaboze
Parts Unknown
Member since Dec 2006
20139 posts
Posted on 10/23/25 at 7:30 am to
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 by Bring Da Wood
Texas
Member since Dec 2006
2109 posts
Posted on 10/23/25 at 8:10 am to
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 by Alt26
Member since Mar 2010
33700 posts
Posted on 10/23/25 at 8:28 am to
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 by pitchandcatch27
Huntsville,AL
Member since Jul 2018
3901 posts
Posted on 10/23/25 at 8:36 am to
Obviously huge, we suck on offense. Sloan is a chicken shite calling plays.
Posted by ActusHumanus
St. George, Louisiana
Member since Sep 2025
467 posts
Posted on 10/23/25 at 8:42 am to
Or maybe it is because he is 61 and has spent most of his career in the Great Lakes region?
Posted by Gus007
TN
Member since Jul 2018
13953 posts
Posted on 10/23/25 at 8:44 am to
Yeah! Kelly has proven that he is a poor judge of assistants as well as players talent.
Posted by jp4lsu
Member since Sep 2016
6200 posts
Posted on 10/23/25 at 9:16 am to
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.
Posted by Yeti_Chaser
Member since Nov 2017
11270 posts
Posted on 10/23/25 at 9:22 am to
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 by jp4lsu
Member since Sep 2016
6200 posts
Posted on 10/23/25 at 9:48 am to
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 by MC123
Baton Rouge
Member since Sep 2005
2042 posts
Posted on 10/23/25 at 9:59 am to
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 by TigerOnThe Hill
Springhill, LA
Member since Sep 2008
7386 posts
Posted on 10/23/25 at 11:00 am to
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.
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