July 8, 2005

SAN MARCOS - Experience is a good thing and Texas State's offense has plenty of it with nine returning starters. But the question now is what the Bobcat offense will add to its game. One characteristic Texas State strived to develop during the spring and off season was becoming a more physical football team.

With strides made in the weight room as well as the continued metamorphosis back to a traditional two-back set, the Bobcats will look to build on its middle-of-the-road offensive numbers from a year ago.

The Bobcats ranked 73rd nationally in total offense, averaging 343.18 yards per game while the squad's rushing game accounted for 190.55 yards an outing, 28th-best in the country.

"We want to be proficient at running the football and not turn the ball over," said co-offensive coordinator Blake Miller. "And we want to run the option proficiently. All of our coaches believe in it because it cuts down on what defenses can do to you blitz-wise."

The Bobcats will look for balance from its running and passing games but Miller said the Bobcats would likely be heavy toward the run. Still, the Bobcats will likely run plays out of a shotgun formation more than half the time because of the multiple opportunities the scheme presents.

"We're going to have the ability to do a lot of different things," Miller said. "Last year we were really predictable going run-run-pass. We will have the ability to get the ball down the field on first down."

The following feature on the offensive line is the first installment of a look inside at the Texas State football program position by position:

TEXAS STATE OFFENSIVE LINE
A month into the 2004 season, Texas State's rushing offense was ranked among the top 10 in Division I-AA, averaging better than 260 yards on the ground as well as 31 points per game. Then injuries began to decimate the Bobcats' offensive unit. Especially affected was the `Cats offensive line.

"It affected what we could do on offense," said Miller, who also serves as the offensive line position coach. "Before Del Scales and Ken McKoy got hurt, we had given up just four sacks in five games and were averaging almost 400 yards of total offense against some pretty good folks."

But injuries have a way of changing a game plan, especially for a team like Texas State whose depth was as shallow as a backyard kiddie pool.

"We had to pick and choose how we ran the ball," Miller said. "And we really had to be picky when it came to passing the ball. Protection wise, we were playing with guys who just weren't there yet."

The last two months of the season, Texas State was just about relegated to drawing up plays in the dirt as nine different players shared starting duties for the five interior line positions.

With the 2004 season now a memory, the `Cats could benefit from the experience developed by several players during the year.

"It was a lot easier this spring," Miller said. "The terminology was the same and the expectations weren't something that was new to them. They knew how to line up in the huddle. The remembered the plays. What we did this spring was more indicative of what we will do in the fall."

Throughout the 2004 season, offensive tackle Thomas Keresztury was a constant for the Bobcats. The New Braunfels native was the only player to start all 11 games on offense. In fact, he is a three-year starter for the `Cats who has the ability to play at either tackle position. He started the first seven games of the 2004 season at right tackle before being moved to left tackle for the final four games of the season because of injuries.

Keresztury is expected to anchor the line from the left tackle position.

"Thomas is probably one of the top five players on the team," Miller said. "As for his height and weight, he is every bit as athletic as anyone on the team."

Miller added having the ability to play both tackle positions makes Keresztury extra special.

"When you start changing sides, it's the exact opposite as far as what is your post foot, what is your second foot and your balance," he said. "It is totally different. It's like a golf swing. Your body gets used to doing things a certain way."

Last year Joel Moore started at both left guard and left tackle after moving from defensive tackle prior to his junior year. As an expected starter at left guard, he will give the Bobcats' a senior-laden left side of the line.

Texas State started three different players at center last season. Junior Buck Koalenz started the final five games of the year at the position and emerged from spring as the preseason starter. As a true freshman, Billy Harrison started the first game of the season at center but suffered a season-ending knee injury in the opener against Angelo State and received a medical red-shirt. He is listed behind Koalenz on the two-deep.

Junior Ryne Miller was the other Bobcat player to start at center last season. But in addition to starting five games at center, he also started at both guard positions during the year, including the last four games at right guard. He heads into preseason drills this year as the expected starter at right tackle.

Rounding out the expected starting five of the interior line is returning right guard Luke Horder. Last year as a junior, Horder started the first seven games at right guard but after being sidelined by an injury, returned to the starting line up at right tackle for the last two games of the season.

Like Keresztury, sophomore Matthew Jenkins could play at either tackle position and is listed second on the depth chart at both positions. Jenkins was a traveling red-shirt last season before seeing his first action last year as the starting right tackle at McNeese State. He also started the following week at Northwestern State.

J.D. Machacek, a transfer from New Mexico, is listed behind Moore at left guard while University of Houston transfer Beau Tuft is listed second on the depth chart behind Horder at right guard.

Returning senior tight end Randy Moshier followed a solid junior season with an off-season and spring camp in which he continued to get bigger, stronger and faster. The Mitte Foundation Scholar originally walked on to the Bobcat program and now begins his second year as a starter.

Senior Justin Marcellus started the first game of the 2004 season at tight end but a knee injury sidelined him for the remainder of the year. The `Cats will be looking for the Aledo native to return this fall and give the squad a solid set of starters at the position.

While every player on the Texas State football team relies on one another to help make the Bobcat program successful for offensive and defensive linemen staring across the trenches at one another, that rapport goes a step further. At Texas State a bond between the two units has formed.

Texas State's linemen get together a couple times each week as a group and go through about an hour's worth of work that has not only helped with technique but also connected the two groups.

"The core of your team is your linemen on either side of the ball," said Texas State defensive line coach Kyle Tietz. "It's exciting to see guys put in situations where they are given an opportunity to step up, be a leader and take ownership of this team."

With Texas State co-offensive coordinator Tom Herman having discussed the quarterbacks in an earlier feature, the Bobcat running backs will be featured next week.