UMass at RutgersSep 3 · 6 p.m. ETUAlbany at BuffaloSep 3 · 7 p.m. ETAkron at Wake ForestSep 3 · 7 p.m. ETMerrimack at DelawareSep 3 · 7 p.m. ETBethune-Cookman at UCFSep 3 · 7 p.m. ETWest Georgia at Kennesaw StateSep 3 · 7 p.m. ETEastern Illinois at MinnesotaSep 3 · 8 p.m. ETColorado at Georgia TechSep 3 · 8 p.m. ETArkansas-Pine Bluff at MissouriSep 3 · 8 p.m. ETUAB at IllinoisSep 3 · 9 p.m. ETIdaho at UtahSep 3 · 9 p.m. ETSan Jose State at Eastern MichiganSep 4 · 6:30 p.m. ETNorth Carolina A&T at Georgia StateSep 4 · 7 p.m. ETIndiana State at PurdueSep 4 · 7 p.m. ETLIU at KansasSep 4 · 8 p.m. ETToledo at Michigan StateSep 4 · 8 p.m. ETUTEP at OklahomaSep 4 · 8 p.m. ETMiami at StanfordSep 4 · 9 p.m. ETFresno State at USCSep 4 · 9 p.m. ETCoastal Carolina at West VirginiaSep 5 · 12 p.m. ETLiberty at James MadisonSep 5 · 12 p.m. ETBryant at ArmySep 5 · 12 p.m. ETLafayette at UConnSep 5 · 12 p.m. ETEast Carolina at AlabamaSep 5 · 12 p.m. ETNew Hampshire at SyracuseSep 5 · 12 p.m. ETNorth Texas at IndianaSep 5 · 12 p.m. ETOhio at NebraskaSep 5 · 12 p.m. ETOregon State at HoustonSep 5 · 12 p.m. ETTarleton State at Bowling GreenSep 5 · 12 p.m. ETMiami (OH) at PittsburghSep 5 · 12:30 p.m. ETBall State at Ohio StateSep 5 · 12:30 p.m. ETKent State at South CarolinaSep 5 · 12:45 p.m. ETYoungstown State at KentuckySep 5 · 1 p.m. ETSoutheast Missouri State at Iowa StateSep 5 · 1 p.m. ETDuquesne at Air ForceSep 5 · 1 p.m. ETRhode Island at TempleSep 5 · 2 p.m. ETTennessee State at GeorgiaSep 5 · 3 p.m. ETTexas State at TexasSep 5 · 3:30 p.m. ETTulane at DukeSep 5 · 3:30 p.m. ETUTRGV at UTSASep 5 · 3:30 p.m. ETTowson at NavySep 5 · 3:30 p.m. ETMarshall at Penn StateSep 5 · 3:30 p.m. ETMaine at Appalachian StateSep 5 · 3:30 p.m. ETFurman at TennesseeSep 5 · 3:30 p.m. ETThe Citadel at CharlotteSep 5 · 3:30 p.m. ETBoise State at OregonSep 5 · 3:30 p.m. ETBoston College at CincinnatiSep 5 · 3:30 p.m. ETBaylor vs Auburn (Atlanta)Sep 5 · 3:30 p.m. ETOklahoma State at TulsaSep 5 · 3:45 p.m. ETNorthern Illinois at IowaSep 5 · 4:15 p.m. ETNorth Alabama at ArkansasSep 5 · 4:15 p.m. ETAlcorn State at Southern MissSep 5 · 5 p.m. ETWyoming at Colorado StateSep 5 · 6 p.m. ETNorfolk State at Old DominionSep 5 · 6 p.m. ETEastern Kentucky at Jacksonville StateSep 5 · 7 p.m. ETArkansas State at MemphisSep 5 · 7 p.m. ETAustin Peay at VanderbiltSep 5 · 7 p.m. ETAbilene Christian at Texas TechSep 5 · 7 p.m. ETHouston Christian at RiceSep 5 · 7 p.m. ETFIU at South FloridaSep 5 · 7 p.m. ETCharleston Southern at Georgia SouthernSep 5 · 7 p.m. ETIdaho State at Utah StateSep 5 · 7 p.m. ETMurray State at Middle TennesseeSep 5 · 7 p.m. ETNicholls at Kansas StateSep 5 · 7 p.m. ETSam Houston at TroySep 5 · 7 p.m. ETSoutheastern Louisiana at South AlabamaSep 5 · 7 p.m. ETMissouri State at Texas A&MSep 5 · 7 p.m. ETWestern Michigan at MichiganSep 5 · 7:30 p.m. ETVMI at Virginia TechSep 5 · 7:30 p.m. ETNorthwestern State at Louisiana TechSep 5 · 7:30 p.m. ETULM at Mississippi StateSep 5 · 7:30 p.m. ETClemson at LSUSep 5 · 7:30 p.m. ETFlorida Atlantic at FloridaSep 5 · 7:45 p.m. ETLamar at LouisianaSep 5 · 8 p.m. ETHampton at MarylandSep 5 · 8 p.m. ETUtah Tech at BYUSep 5 · 8 p.m. ETSouth Dakota State at NorthwesternSep 5 · 8 p.m. ETMercyhurst at New Mexico StateSep 5 · 9 p.m. ETPortland State at San Diego StateSep 5 · 9:30 p.m. ETNorthern Arizona at ArizonaSep 5 · 9:30 p.m. ETUNLV at HawaiiSep 5 · 10 p.m. ETMorgan State at Arizona StateSep 5 · 10 p.m. ETCentral Michigan at New MexicoSep 5 · 10 p.m. ETWestern Kentucky at NevadaSep 5 · 10:30 p.m. ETUCLA at CaliforniaSep 5 · 10:30 p.m. ETWashington State at WashingtonSep 6 · 4 p.m. ETLouisville vs Ole Miss (Nashville)Sep 6 · 7:30 p.m. ETWisconsin vs Notre Dame (Green Bay)Sep 6 · 7:30 p.m. ETSMU at Florida StateSep 7 · 7:30 p.m. ETUMass at RutgersSep 3 · 6 p.m. ETUAlbany at BuffaloSep 3 · 7 p.m. ETAkron at Wake ForestSep 3 · 7 p.m. ETMerrimack at DelawareSep 3 · 7 p.m. ETBethune-Cookman at UCFSep 3 · 7 p.m. ETWest Georgia at Kennesaw StateSep 3 · 7 p.m. ETEastern Illinois at MinnesotaSep 3 · 8 p.m. ETColorado at Georgia TechSep 3 · 8 p.m. ETArkansas-Pine Bluff at MissouriSep 3 · 8 p.m. ETUAB at IllinoisSep 3 · 9 p.m. ETIdaho at UtahSep 3 · 9 p.m. ETSan Jose State at Eastern MichiganSep 4 · 6:30 p.m. ETNorth Carolina A&T at Georgia StateSep 4 · 7 p.m. ETIndiana State at PurdueSep 4 · 7 p.m. ETLIU at KansasSep 4 · 8 p.m. ETToledo at Michigan StateSep 4 · 8 p.m. ETUTEP at OklahomaSep 4 · 8 p.m. ETMiami at StanfordSep 4 · 9 p.m. ETFresno State at USCSep 4 · 9 p.m. ETCoastal Carolina at West VirginiaSep 5 · 12 p.m. ETLiberty at James MadisonSep 5 · 12 p.m. ETBryant at ArmySep 5 · 12 p.m. ETLafayette at UConnSep 5 · 12 p.m. ETEast Carolina at AlabamaSep 5 · 12 p.m. ETNew Hampshire at SyracuseSep 5 · 12 p.m. ETNorth Texas at IndianaSep 5 · 12 p.m. ETOhio at NebraskaSep 5 · 12 p.m. ETOregon State at HoustonSep 5 · 12 p.m. ETTarleton State at Bowling GreenSep 5 · 12 p.m. ETMiami (OH) at PittsburghSep 5 · 12:30 p.m. ETBall State at Ohio StateSep 5 · 12:30 p.m. ETKent State at South CarolinaSep 5 · 12:45 p.m. ETYoungstown State at KentuckySep 5 · 1 p.m. ETSoutheast Missouri State at Iowa StateSep 5 · 1 p.m. ETDuquesne at Air ForceSep 5 · 1 p.m. ETRhode Island at TempleSep 5 · 2 p.m. ETTennessee State at GeorgiaSep 5 · 3 p.m. ETTexas State at TexasSep 5 · 3:30 p.m. ETTulane at DukeSep 5 · 3:30 p.m. ETUTRGV at UTSASep 5 · 3:30 p.m. ETTowson at NavySep 5 · 3:30 p.m. ETMarshall at Penn StateSep 5 · 3:30 p.m. ETMaine at Appalachian StateSep 5 · 3:30 p.m. ETFurman at TennesseeSep 5 · 3:30 p.m. ETThe Citadel at CharlotteSep 5 · 3:30 p.m. ETBoise State at OregonSep 5 · 3:30 p.m. ETBoston College at CincinnatiSep 5 · 3:30 p.m. ETBaylor vs Auburn (Atlanta)Sep 5 · 3:30 p.m. ETOklahoma State at TulsaSep 5 · 3:45 p.m. ETNorthern Illinois at IowaSep 5 · 4:15 p.m. ETNorth Alabama at ArkansasSep 5 · 4:15 p.m. ETAlcorn State at Southern MissSep 5 · 5 p.m. ETWyoming at Colorado StateSep 5 · 6 p.m. ETNorfolk State at Old DominionSep 5 · 6 p.m. ETEastern Kentucky at Jacksonville StateSep 5 · 7 p.m. ETArkansas State at MemphisSep 5 · 7 p.m. ETAustin Peay at VanderbiltSep 5 · 7 p.m. ETAbilene Christian at Texas TechSep 5 · 7 p.m. ETHouston Christian at RiceSep 5 · 7 p.m. ETFIU at South FloridaSep 5 · 7 p.m. ETCharleston Southern at Georgia SouthernSep 5 · 7 p.m. ETIdaho State at Utah StateSep 5 · 7 p.m. ETMurray State at Middle TennesseeSep 5 · 7 p.m. ETNicholls at Kansas StateSep 5 · 7 p.m. ETSam Houston at TroySep 5 · 7 p.m. ETSoutheastern Louisiana at South AlabamaSep 5 · 7 p.m. ETMissouri State at Texas A&MSep 5 · 7 p.m. ETWestern Michigan at MichiganSep 5 · 7:30 p.m. ETVMI at Virginia TechSep 5 · 7:30 p.m. ETNorthwestern State at Louisiana TechSep 5 · 7:30 p.m. ETULM at Mississippi StateSep 5 · 7:30 p.m. ETClemson at LSUSep 5 · 7:30 p.m. ETFlorida Atlantic at FloridaSep 5 · 7:45 p.m. ETLamar at LouisianaSep 5 · 8 p.m. ETHampton at MarylandSep 5 · 8 p.m. ETUtah Tech at BYUSep 5 · 8 p.m. ETSouth Dakota State at NorthwesternSep 5 · 8 p.m. ETMercyhurst at New Mexico StateSep 5 · 9 p.m. ETPortland State at San Diego StateSep 5 · 9:30 p.m. ETNorthern Arizona at ArizonaSep 5 · 9:30 p.m. ETUNLV at HawaiiSep 5 · 10 p.m. ETMorgan State at Arizona StateSep 5 · 10 p.m. ETCentral Michigan at New MexicoSep 5 · 10 p.m. ETWestern Kentucky at NevadaSep 5 · 10:30 p.m. ETUCLA at CaliforniaSep 5 · 10:30 p.m. ETWashington State at WashingtonSep 6 · 4 p.m. ETLouisville vs Ole Miss (Nashville)Sep 6 · 7:30 p.m. ETWisconsin vs Notre Dame (Green Bay)Sep 6 · 7:30 p.m. ETSMU at Florida StateSep 7 · 7:30 p.m. ET
Coordinator Corner
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Article · Jul 2, 2026

Notre Dame's Shifts

3 Reasons Mike Denbrock Uses So Many Shifts

In 2025, Mike Denbrock used Shifts on 39% of offensive snaps. Here are 3 reasons why he uses them so much.

1. Numbers

Shifts are a great way to flip the strength of the offense. In the clip below, Notre Dame starts in a 2x2 formation with the defense in a Cover 3 structure with the SS rolled down. The TE then shifts to a 3x1 formation and then defense doesn’t adjust. That allows Notre Dame to have a numbers advantage to the strength, where they run a Dash Flood concept. The Sail route is able to come wide open for a huge gain.

Watch this clip on Substack →

2. Leverage

The second thing that shifts do is they create leverage. In the clip below, Notre Dame is going to be in a 2x2 formation and run a Capped Inside Zone against 6 defenders in the box. Instead of having the slot TE dig out a LB, he is going to shift to a wing position and insert for the LB. Now Notre Dame has 6 blockers with ideal leverage on 6 defenders. The RB is able to hit the hole and get a first down.

Watch this clip on Substack →

3. Recognition

Lastly, shifts can help recognize what coverage the defense is playing. In the clip below, Notre Dame is trying to convert a 2-pt play. They come out in a 3x1 formation and have an Ohio concept dialed up (MOR by #1 and Quick Out by #2). They are thinking man coverage but are able to confirm it with the shift by the #3 WR. Now the #2 WR is one on one with the slot defender and comes wide open for an easy pitch and catch.

Watch this clip on Substack →

Systems

One of my favorite things about The Systems is being able to learn from the best offensive coordinators in college football like Mike Denbrock, Buster Faulkner, Tim Beck, and Drew Cronic. I definitely don’t know everything as an offensive coordinator, but being able to study them through systems helps me grow tremendously.

Consider becoming a member of The Systems in order to elevate your craft as a play-caller, and stay tuned for future coordinators coming soon!

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