San Antonio Express-News (Sunday)
Kastl seeks to rejuvenate offense
First-year coordinator works to strengthen bonds with players
First-year UTSA offensive coordinator Jeff Kastl put the Roadrunners’ struggles in focus during the group’s first meeting of the fall. He said acknowledging the unit’s shortcomings was the first step to moving past them.
Yes, UTSA finished last in the FBS in total offense in 2018, but he told the Roadrunners that “where we are right now is not where we’re going to end up.”
During Saturday’s scrimmage, coach Frank Wilson said the offensive unit “had their way” against UTSA’s defense.
After averaging 247.1 yards per game last season, the Roadrunners moved the ball up and down the field Saturday. UTSA shuffled quarterbacks because of a combination of injury and ineffectiveness in 2018, but on Saturday Frank Harris “took a step away from the pack,” Wilson said. And after the Roadrunners ranked next-to-last in the FBS with only four plays of 40 or more yards last season, Wilson said the group exploded for “multiple” such plays.
The offensive linemen even
overpowered their defensive counterparts 8-0 in the team’s
“Birdcage” drill.
Wilson credited Kastl for the offense’s improvement. Since being promoted to the job in January, Kastl has been seeking ways to revitalize UTSA’s offense.
“It’s exciting to see it all kind of piece together,” Kastl said. “I’m in a position where I have to make sure everything fits, and that’s been fun. You’ve got some pieces you can move around to make sure they jell together and it matches.”
Kastl was the Roadrunners’ passing game coordinator and receivers coach last year but took over play-calling duties for UTSA’s season finale against North Texas. The Roadrunners posted a season-best 400 total yards in a 24-21 loss, besting their previous season high by 100.
Before coming to UTSA as the receivers coach in 2016, Kastl was an offensive analyst at LSU and briefly took the reins of coordinating duties while Cam Cameron was away from the team battling cancer. Kastl’s only other previous coordinating experience was at Division II Ashland in 2011. He was a walk-on quarterback at Michigan from 2002-06 and has held coaching positions at Michigan, Auburn and Central Michigan.
Kastl said he’s been fortunate to play or coach under three national championship coaches in Lloyd Carr, Gene Chizik and Les Miles.
“You learn how to do things the right way, and you learn that there’s a way to do things, and everything kind of bleeds into one another,” Kastl said. “You take care of the little things off the field, and more than likely you’re going to have success on it, because it just becomes a way of life.”
Moving into a more prominent role at UTSA, Kastl said he doesn’t intend to make sweeping changes to the system used under previous offensive coordinator Al Borges. He said the primary goal is getting the ball into the hands of UTSA’s playmakers.
“There’s going to be some differences, but I think there’s a lot of carryover, which helps our
guys so that way they can play fast,” Kastl said. “Certain things are going to be different. Coach Borges and I are just slightly different in a lot of ways, and in some ways we’re very similar.”
Many of UTSA’s players said those small changes can have a significant effect.
“Sometimes, it can be the same system but a new face saying it that just brings a different type of energy to the group,” UTSA receiver Sheldon Jones said.
Running back Brenden Brady said Kastl is putting UTSA’s offensive weapons in position to maximize their strengths. Wideout Tykee Ogle-Kellogg said the offense has more energy and life under Kastl, and receiver Brett Winnegan said he expects to see more big gains and a more efficient passing game.
Receiver Blaze Moorhead said the new culture Kastl has established is expected to produce better results. Already, Moorhead sees that offensive execution has improved “tenfold” over last season.
“There’s a different performance going on. There are different things happening on the field that we didn’t see last year, and that’s just being explosive and making plays all over,” Moorhead said. “I wouldn’t say (the offense) is too different, but I would say we just look a lot better.”
Wilson has lauded Kastl’s communication and connection with the players, and quarterback Cordale
Grundy said Kastl took the position group out for dinner the night before they reported for fall camp.
Entering his fourth season in the program, Kastl said he started building some of those relationships during the recruiting process.
“And then, being around,” Kastl said. “Understanding exactly what problems guys have had in the past. OK, what has gone on in their personal life? It allows you to relate to them and truly get a feel for what kind of people they are.”
Moorhead said Kastl has been easy to follow because he has high character and has taken the time to form a unique relationship with each player, offense or defense.
Working with the receivers the past three years, Kastl has grown particularly close with many in that group.
“One time he called me and said, ‘Come to the office.’ And I’m scared,” said Jones, who hails from New Orleans. “I’m like, ‘Man, did I do anything wrong?’ And he just brought me in and said, ‘Let’s talk about anything. It doesn’t have to be football.’ When you have a coach who can do that for you, being nine hours away from home, just being able to talk to him about anything is great. He relates to the players real well.”