Mike Denbrock’s return to Notre Dame in 2025 brought with it a full-throttle offensive revival - and the numbers back it up in bold print. The Irish closed the regular season ranked third nationally in scoring, averaging 42.0 points per game.
They also tied for third in total touchdowns (70), ranked fifth in passer rating (168.61), and cracked the top five in yards per attempt (9.5). On the ground, they were just as lethal, finishing sixth in yards per carry (5.7) and third in rushing touchdowns (38).
That’s a balanced, explosive offense firing on all cylinders for most of the year.
And it wasn’t just about padding stats against overmatched opponents. Notre Dame hung 40 points on Texas A&M, 36 on NC State, 34 on USC, and 49 on Stanford.
They torched Navy for 49 and absolutely dismantled Syracuse with a 70-point outburst - helped along by 21 points from the defense and special teams. This wasn’t a flash-in-the-pan unit.
It was a consistent, week-in and week-out scoring machine.
But despite all that firepower, there was one glaring issue that kept the Irish offense from being truly elite: red zone execution.
Let’s call it what it was - a red zone rollercoaster. Notre Dame finished the regular season ranked 119th in red zone scoring percentage.
That’s a jarring contrast to their overall offensive efficiency and a stat that doesn’t lie. A big chunk of that problem came from the kicking game.
The Irish were 128th in field goal percentage, making just five of nine attempts. Extra points weren’t much better - they finished 130th in the country, missing four on the season.
That’s the kind of inconsistency that leaves points on the table and momentum in the hands of the opponent.
But it wasn’t just the specialists. The offense itself missed too many chances inside the 20. Even though they ranked 22nd nationally in red zone touchdown percentage, the missed opportunities were too frequent and too costly.
Think back to the Boise State game. Notre Dame marched 73 yards on their opening drive, only to stall out at the 1-yard line after getting stuffed on 4th and goal.
Against NC State, a promising 60-yard drive ended with a red zone interception from CJ Carr on 4th and goal. A week later, Carr was picked off again - this time on 3rd and goal from the USC 3-yard line.
That’s three possessions inside the 5-yard line that ended with zero points.
And while running back Jadarian Price was a major bright spot throughout the season, even he wasn’t immune to red zone miscues. Price fumbled three times inside the 10-yard line, losing two - one against NC State, another against Boston College. In games where margins are razor-thin, those are back-breaking mistakes.
So what’s the fix? It starts with personnel.
Notre Dame leaned too often on undersized receivers to set the edge in short-yardage situations. That’s not a winning formula when space is tight and physicality matters most.
The tight end room is loaded with size and talent - Cooper Flanagan, James Flanigan, Jack Larsen, Ty Washington, and incoming freshmen Ian Premer and Preston Fryzel - and it needs to be a bigger part of the red zone identity. These are big-bodied targets who can block, win jump balls, and create mismatches near the goal line.
Use them.
Then there’s the play-calling. Some of the red zone struggles were schematic.
The sprint-out plays to either sideline became too predictable by midseason. Defenses saw it coming, and it limited the offense’s ability to keep opponents off balance.
On the flip side, there were moments when the creativity went too far - like dialing up the wildcat in situations where it wasn’t necessary. Sometimes, you don’t need a gadget play.
You just need to trust your best players to win straight up.
The good news? These are fixable problems.
And Denbrock has shown time and again he’s capable of adjusting. This isn’t a rebuild - it’s a fine-tuning.
The Irish offense was just half a point per game behind the No. 2 scoring offense in the country. Clean up the red zone execution, and this unit has a legitimate shot at finishing next season as the most prolific offense in college football.
With CJ Carr gaining experience, a deep backfield, and a tight end group built for the trenches, Notre Dame has the personnel to dominate the red zone in 2026. If they turn those red zone trips into touchdowns instead of missed opportunities, the Irish won’t just be a top-five offense - they’ll be the standard.