LSU football: Mike Denbrock’s welcomed changes to the offense

LSU football’s offense has been extremely hit or miss this season. The Tigers struggled to move the ball in the first three quarters against Florida State and the first half against Mississippi State. While they eventually turned it around, the inconsistency shown over four quarters is quite alarming.

Brian Kelly’s team has one of the toughest schedules in the country coming up, so it cannot afford to bring anything but its best to the table. Mike Denbrock’s play-calling up until this point has been serviceable. The former Cincinnati offensive coordinator needs to step it up a notch, which it seems like he has done in recent weeks. Kelly, Denbrock and Co. have made some welcomed changes to the Bayou Bengals’ offense in recent weeks.

LSU football: Mike Denbrock has made a welcomed change to the offense

It’s no coincidence that Jayden Daniels is at his best when running the two-minute offense. The LSU quarterback plays better when he’s not given time to overthink, but instead, he’s instructed to use his instincts. Fans witnessed it during the Allstate Louisiana Kickoff, they saw it again versus Mississippi State and the Tigers executed this all game long against New Mexico.

LSU made a major change during Week 4 when it transitioned to a hurry-up offense versus the Lobos. Daniels looked significantly more comfortable when the Bayou Bengals got up to the line quickly and he was given the freedom to run the offense without a huddle.

In addition to running a hurry-up offense, Denbrock opened up the playbook and got the wide receivers more involved. This worked wonders for the Tigers as it allowed them to get the ball into the hands of their playmakers more often. The receiving core comprised of players like Kayshon Boutte, Malik Nabers and Jack Bech is one of the team’s biggest strengths. LSU struggled on offense in the early games because it wasn’t passing the ball efficiently.

Now, as the Tigers begin preparations for their toughest stretch of the season, it seems as if their offense is finally balanced. This will be key going forward as LSU is tasked with taking down some of the nation’s best programs in Southeastern Conference play.

Kelly’s preparation coming into the year is one of the biggest reasons Denbrock has the luxury of switching things up this far into the season. The first-year coach of the Bayou Bengals emphasized conditioning when he first got into the building and it’s paid dividends.

Furthermore, the depth he’s recruited at each position means LSU seldom dips in quality when rotation is necessary in this fast-paced environment. This goes for every position group on the offensive side of the ball, from the linemen to the receivers.

It must also be said that this new offensive style is tailor-made for Daniels. The Arizona State transfer has done extremely well this season already. Now? He has the opportunity to take his game to another level. If Daniels and the offense start to click and the defense maintains its level, the Tigers can forget all about a program-wide rebuild. They’ll transition into ‘win now’ mode faster than Kelly can fake fine any member of the media again.