Mike Denbrock transcript: Notre Dame offensive coordinator talks WR Jordan Faison re-emergence

On Saturday, Notre Dame football offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock spoke to the media before the team departs for the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans. Here is everything Denbrock told reporters before the Fighting Irish’s College Football Playoff quarterfinal game against Georgia.

On how much carryover there is from Georgia from when he faced them with Cincinnati

“Carry over wise, obviously the leadership is the same, the structure of the defense is similar. They still have the same dynamic playmakers all over the field on every level of their defense. That stuff is, when you look at it, you go, yeah, I remember what that looks like, of course. And it’s a challenge. I mean, they do an incredible job of making you earn every yard and making sure that they mix up the looks and keep you off balance as much as they can as a playcaller. And we’re going have to do a really good job, and I’m going to have to do a really good job.”

On what was most important to get Cincinnati to believe it could win that game

“I think you got to live in the six inches in front of your face, and you just got to worry about doing your job and doing it aggressively and being a team that, of course, we respect Georgia and all that their program has accomplished. And even this team, the things that this team that they have this year has accomplished. But we got to line up and play football, and this is going to be one of those types of games where you’ve got to be willing to pay the physical price to get what you’re after. I know they feel that way, and I know we feel that way. So a lot of respect for what they do and how they do it. Our intent is to make sure that we do what we need to do to win a game.”

On whether the Jordan Faison against Indiana was the one he had in August

“At times when he wasn’t fatigued from winning a national championship in lacrosse? That’s obviously the vision and a need, a huge need. The explosiveness that he adds as that other element to what we can be offensively is vital and it was great to see it come on display against Indiana. And he did a great job. And I think the fact that he’s been healthy now for 4 or 5 weeks in a row has kind of lent to him even getting himself in a position where he feels like he’s ready, and we feel like he’s ready. And now, hopefully, it just keeps growing.” 

On whether he thought going into the game about featuring Faison or whether it was it more of the hot-hand

“Yeah, it’s always a little bit of both. But obviously, you look and see the things he can do with the football in his hands. You’ve got to give him some opportunities to make plays. But on top of that, right, the flow of the game and some of the things that are going on dictate some of that as well.”

On Notre Dame QB Riley Leonard’s ability to avoid negative plays

“Well, I think it’s grown as the year’s gone along more than anything. Here we are again, post Indiana, going into a game where it’s going to be really important that we play ahead of the chains as much as we possibly can and not get into long yardage, desperate situations. His decision-making and understanding sometimes it’s just not there. Right? Sometimes, it’s a horrible play call by the play caller, and you can’t fix it no matter what you do and get the ball out of your hand. And we’ll live to fight another down. And as the year’s gone along that comfort level that he’s had with doing that, it’s just gotten better and better.”

On how he gets the Notre Dame scout team defense to simulate Georgia’s defense in practice

“Obviously, it’s a challenge to, you know, you’re trying to simulate as much as you can and we go good on good, which gives us some idea in spots of what they’ll be like. But consistently being able to replicate it is probably the one of the bigger concerns that I have just because those guys are twitchy and they’re cat-quick upfront even, and their back ends can run. And you know, simulating that with the look team and the scout team is good, but it’s not obviously the game day speed is going to be a little bit different than that. And we’re going to have to make sure we get our feet on the ground.”

On playing Georgia in the 2022 SEC Championship game with LSU

“We did. Yes. Really haven’t changed that much over the years. I know the numbers on the jerseys are different, but upfront, they all look the same. They’re long, and they’re wide, and they’re tall, and they’re powerful, and linebackers can run, and they’ll knock you in the next Thursday, and the secondary can lock you down and make your life really difficult. To me, it looks like the scheme is the same, so it looks to me like the same bunch of guys, even though I know a lot of those guys are now playing tomorrow, today’s Saturday, right? Gonna play tomorrow or this afternoon. I guess they got NFL games going on, too.”

On Notre Dame RT Aamil Wagner’s stability and improvement since August

“I think experience obviously helps everybody, right? And I think he’s learned how to navigate when he needs to be aggressive and when he needs to maybe be a little more passive and understand twists and games and different line movements that he might have to handle. I think that’s grown through the roof. I think his communication on the edge of our offense has been really, really good and grown with his play, and it’s just been a stabilizing factor to everything that we’re doing upfront to know that guy’s been locked in all year and played good football all year and now you know what I mean? You’re still paying attention to what he’s doing, but you can also turn your attention to making sure everybody else is doing what they’re supposed to do.”

On if he has ever coached for somebody that’s as aggressive in terms of fake punts and fake field goals as Marcus Freeman

“I can’t say that I have, no. The players love it. I love it. And I think it goes to the theme of us as a football program. I mean, we’re playing to win. And we’re not afraid of what that means. And not everybody is. Whether it’s going for it offensively on fourth down or whether we feel like we can take a possession back by making a play on special teams. Those guys have done an incredible job with that all year.”

On if he communicates those calls with him

“Does he ask my opinion? (Laughter)”

On if he tells him

“Of course. We know obviously as a staff going in that this is going to be (a situation) where this is available, may come up during the game, be ready for this situation or that situation. So yeah, somewhere in what’s left of my brain, I’m thinking through those scenarios of ‘Hey, if this happens, let’s attack it this way.’”

On if Freeman asks his opinion

“Of course.”

On if there have been any total surprises

“I don’t know about total surprise, but I’ll be honest, there was a game early in the year—because I haven’t over the course of my career been really used to that type of aggressiveness on fourth down. And he was like, ‘Hey, we’re going,’ and I was like (surprised face). From that point on, I haven’t let it catch me off guard, so I’m at the ready.”

On the mental impact of the success of a fake or fake call

“It’s a boost to everybody. Like, hey, our plan was to show that we’re here to win. Coach has believed in us enough to call it, we executed it the way that we practiced it and got the job done and I think that boosts everybody up.”

On if playing a scratch-and-claw game against Indiana will help them against Georgia since it could be a similar game

“Probably. I think our mantra this year and the way we’ve kind of had to live our life— on the offensive side of the ball anyway—has been that way every week. We’ve had to scratch and claw for every little thing we’ve gotten. I don’t think it’s any different this week, but obviously, it’s a different challenge. They present their own challenge that Indiana doesn’t, and Indiana presented challenges that maybe this group doesn’t.”

On if anyone can emerge like Faison over the next games

“I think that’s the value of what we are offensively. Our whole is a lot stronger than our parts. And I don’t mean we don’t have good parts also, but I think Mitch Evans can have a great game, Eli Raridon can catch a touchdown, and Kris Mitchell can do it, and J2 (Jayden Harrison) can make some plays down the field when we need it against Louisville. It’s just a collection of guys who just keep working and believing and when it’s their time, fortunately for all of us, they’ve been prepared and ready to attack it.”

On Notre Dame freshman running back Aneyas Williams

“He’s just so mature. He plays with a chip on his shoulder and a toughness where, if it’s pass protection, he’s going to square you up and get after ‘ya, and he’s got some nice soft hands and is able to catch the ball out of the backfield so he’s kind of chiseled out a third-down role for himself with some of that. He’s earned everything and he’s proved it in games and proved it on the practice field. It’s another luxury in a room full of those in the running back room.”

On Georgia struggling against running quarterbacks and how he balances that with calling running plays for Leonard

“I don’t think we’re built to be Georgia Tech-ish with what they did with their quarterback, and he had some success running the ball against Georgia as well. But does he have to create some plays with his feet? Absolutely. Hopefully, we can get him free. It’s not a huge part of maybe the running game necessarily, depending on who you’re playing. Like, with Indiana, the quarterback-run was part of our game plan but it wasn’t a huge piece of it. But he kind of found a way to make it work, whether it was a third-down conversion or the last score of the game to put things away. 

“He finds a way to use his strengths throughout the game. I thought he did that really well, and I hope he does that again.”

On if he meant Georgia Tech-ish because of how much Haynes King runs it

“Yeah, they’re running quarterback power, read power, we’re not built that way like they are. Is it a luxury to have a QB who can make plays with his feet? Absolutely. We’re a little bit built more in the zone-read scheme of things; that’s all I meant by that.”