Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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8 OCT. 12, 2024 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED UNDER THE DOME Getting Offensive Coordinator Mike Denbrock In Sync By Todd D. Burlage Pre-snap penalties, little production in the passing game, disjointed play calling … the offensive cohesiveness through the first five Irish games before the bye week was often troubling and head-scratching, to say the least. Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman secured about $9 million from the university over the next four years to lure of- fensive coordinator Mike Denbrock away from LSU and to Notre Dame. Denbrock came to South Bend one season after his LSU offense led the nation in total yards (543.5 yards per game) and scoring of- fense (45.5 points per game), and his quarterback, Jayden Daniels, won the Heisman Trophy. There has been no such consistent or sustained success at Notre Dame, so far. There were, how- ever, some offensive positives for the Irish through September, especially in the running game. But finding any balance and an offensive identity has been difficult. And this bye week provides Denbrock a chance to catch his breath, and work on building better continuity and familiarity with senior quarterback Riley Leonard, especially in the passing game. Notre Dame has ranked in the bottom half of the NCAA all season in passing efficiency, most penalty yards per game and fewest yards per pass play. Granted, numerous injuries along the Irish offensive line helped to stunt the offensive development. But dubious play calling in critical situations, along with a risky reliance on long touchdown runs, is a tough way to make an offensive living. And that's what puts Denbrock's challenge of improving and balancing out his offense atop the bye-week to-do list. Readying Riley Leonard For The Stretch Run By Jack Soble It's no secret that, despite Leonard's prolific rushing numbers and touch- down total, his passing needs to improve. To be fair to Leonard (and Den- brock, for that matter), it was no secret that the Duke transfer was going to be a work in progress after he missed most of spring practice with his second ankle surgery in three months. The early results have not been promising — he was averaging 5.7 yards per attempt through four games, which would be a career low — but he did show some progress in Week 4 versus Miami (Ohio). That progress has to accelerate during the bye week if Notre Dame has a chance to reach its goals this season (provided it beats Louisville; if not, then it needs new goals). Leonard missed four "gimme" throws — "cup- cakes," Denbrock described them — against Mi- ami (Ohio). Together, they probably cost the Irish 25 to 35 yards and, more significantly, four first downs. That cannot happen anymore. He also showed flashes of stepping up in the pocket and trusting his wide receivers and tight ends to make plays down the field. Those flashes must become more consistent. The Duke transfer does not have to become a perfect passer. But if he can just return to his level from 2022, when he threw 20 touchdown passes and only 6 interceptions, the Notre Dame passing game will complement its elite running game and form a potent offense for its final seven games. Factoring in the defense, very few teams can beat the Irish if that happens. Point ✦ Counterpoint: WHAT'S NOTRE DAME'S MOST PRESSING BYE-WEEK FIX? From Vanderbilt to Marshall to Notre Dame, graduate student Jayden Harrison has traveled all over the United States during his six-year college football career. But through all the relocations, the receiver and star kick returner still takes great pride in being grounded to where he is now, at Notre Dame. A three-star wide receiver out of Pearl-Cohn High School in Nashville, Tenn., Harrison chose hometown Vanderbilt to begin his college career. A seldom-used reserve, Harrison played nine games over two seasons with the Commodores in 2019-20 before transferring to Marshall in 2021. It was during his three seasons with the Thunder- ing Herd that the 5-foot-10, 198-pound speedster became a valuable wide receiver and one of the best kick returners in the country before he trans- ferred to Notre Dame in 2024. Last season at Mar- shall, Harrison ranked second among all FBS players in kickoff returns with a 30.7-yard average on 23 tries and scored 2 touchdowns to earn first-team All-America honors from a variety of media outlets. Harrison had 7 receptions for 70 yards and aver- aged 24.8 yards on his 4 kickoff return attempts through four games with the Irish, but he had yet to break the big one. Blue & Gold Illustrated and other local Irish me- dia recently caught up with Harrison and asked him about his journey to Notre Dame, and his time in his new surroundings so far. BGI: As an All-American last season, you could've picked about any school. Why Notre Dame? Harrison: "The culture, the family feeling here. It was just a no-brainer, it just felt different. You know how you just get that gut feeling? That's what I went through." BGI: You haven't had many opportunities at wide receiver here at Notre Dame. How do you stay engaged? Harrison: "That's why we practice so hard. You have to be ready when your number is called. And, that's what Coach [Marcus] Freeman always speaks about. We need everybody. So, the stan- dard doesn't change." BGI: What's it take to be a great kick returner? Harrison: "Great scheme, great coaches, a great scout team look, and being dialed in on the details in practice because it takes everybody. The holes that I'm running through, I don't get touched so I just appreciate the scout team giving the other 10 guys a good look." BGI: So, what's the biggest challenge to being a great kick returner? Harrison: "The biggest challenge is, hitting it and trusting it. Sometimes you second-guess yourself. And when you second-guess yourself, that split second, the hole is closed. So that's the biggest thing. I just have to go for it." BGI: What's left to accomplish in your sixth year? Harrison: "I don't really look at it like the future so much. I just stay dialed into what I have to do every day, and my assignments, and getting better. And hopefully that leads me to where I wanna be, and helping the team get to where we need to be." — Todd D. Burlage Five Questions With … GRADUATE WIDE RECEIVER JAYDEN HARRISON Harrison had 7 receptions for 70 yards and averaged 24.8 yards per kickoff return through four games with the Irish this season. PHOTO BY MICHAEL MILLER Denbrock Leonard