BLUEGOLDONLINE.COM SEPT. 21, 2024 17
He was asked about that, about why
it's been so difficult for the Irish to get
in an offensive rhythm early in the year,
and he was rendered speechless — much
like most of the people who put on a
brave face and watch him play with die-
hard emotion every Saturday.
"I don't really know,"
Love said. "We run the
ball, pass the ball. I
don't know. That's a
good question. I don't
know how to answer
that. I don't have any
answer for that."
The answers have to come from the
combination of Denbrock and whoev-
er's playing quarterback, a position that
somehow looked foreign to starter Riley
Leonard in his Notre Dame Stadium de-
but despite it being the 23rd start of the
Duke transfer's career.
You can't blame Love and you can't
blame Price, so it's got to fall on the
shoulders of the overall oligarch of the
offensive operation and the most im-
portant player he employs on the field.
No greater example of that than when
Denbrock dialed up a deep shot on sec-
ond-and-1 at midfield with a one-point
lead and roughly six minutes remaining
against NIU. Leonard's pass was inter-
cepted. The optimism is in the river.
The rest is history.
"We could have run the football again
and got a first down and continued the
drive," Denbrock said. "I've
got to analyze all that stuff
and make sure I'm making
good decisions where he's
concerned and not putting
him in jeopardy if it could
lead to a bad decision.
"There were opportunities there to
make a big play, and we didn't get it
done, and that's on me. We've got to do
a bit better job there." ✦
"There were opportunities there to make a big play, and
we didn't get it done, and that's on me. We've got to do
a bit better job there."
OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR MIKE DENBROCK ON THE LOSS TO NORTHERN ILLINOIS
