Everything TE coach Steve Casula said on Inside Michigan Football pre-Michigan State

On what led to the offense finding its rhythm against Washington

I think it’s number one, being able to run the ball consistently. I think you can appreciate this. What runs look like in the first quarter aren’t what they look like in the third quarter or the fourth quarter. That’s kind of been the trademark of who we’ve been. But then all that comes off of that, moving the pocket, the run action, and play action throws. And the quarterback made great decisions throughout the game, completed a lot of passes. We played better on third down. So I agree with you. I think we fell into a groove, fell into a rhythm there.

It felt kind of like all game, like we were playing well, moving the ball, and we just needed to kind of stay out of our own way or finish some drives. But we played great complementary football defensively and special teams. Field position was certainly in our advantage. And then we dominated time of possession. So we just keep getting better and better and better. I really believe that with every quarter that we play. We’ve got a lot of really good players. I think Coach Lindsey did a phenomenal job making sure those guys touched the ball.

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On working with Chip Lindsey as co-OC and what communication is like in the booth

Sure. So Coach Lindsey has an unbelievable, like innate feel and for like rhythm and timing and has it in his head of when we’re going to take a shot, when we’re going to do something to keep them off balance. Where we work hand in hand and collaboratively is like having conversations in between drives about those sort of things. I do my best up there to support him in both the run game and the pass game. And it’s fortunate that I coach the position I do because you’re pretty involved in both. But he’s great to work for. He’s made us all better. I’ve learned a ton from him every day in the office, every day watching him call the plays. He’s really, really good.

He would probably tell you I help more than I really do. He’s pretty darn good at this, but that’s his nature. That’s kind of how he is. But he’s great to work with. He’s awesome.

On how much is too much to put on a young quarterback’s plate

Yeah, I think like not every game is the same. There’s some games where you’re going to be able to carry more because of what a team does or doesn’t do on defense. Conversely, there’s going to be some games where you got to carry less because of what a team does or doesn’t do on defense. But I think through seven games now, the sample size that we have of Bryce, he can handle a lot. And yes, he is 18 years old and he is a freshman, but he certainly doesn’t play like it. And he certainly doesn’t prepare like it.

So we’ve been really impressed with what he can handle from game to game, from week to week, what have you. So really pleased with where he’s at. But we want to do as many things that are same as, same as, and just keep getting really, not just for him, but for everybody. Block the same runs, block the same boxes, run the same route concepts, try to attack the same coverages the same way.

On what leads to more production from the tight ends

Well, we’re always going to start with, we have a system, and versus certain types of defenses, certain calls, the ball is going to end up going to certain places. So there wasn’t really necessarily a major change in emphasis or planning. It’s just sometimes you go into games and the ball doesn’t find specific guys or doesn’t find specific positions.

That’s not really something that’s always entirely in your control. However, we do have earmarked plays like that as a get the ball to this position style play. So maybe we carried one or two more of those, but, a lot of times, coverage and reaction to the defense dictates where the ball ends up going.

I’m not trying to non-answer you because we do work hard at getting the ball to the tight ends without a doubt. But what we work most hard at is moving the ball and scoring points. And if that means that at tight end, that we have to have eight catches, great. If that means it’s zero and we win, that’s okay too. And that’s not coach speak. That’s how the dudes in my room are. That’s how I am. The only statistic we’re driven by is winning.

On what Zack Marshall does well and areas of improvement

So number one, what he does well is he can take what he’s been coached to do from a skill perspective or a schematic perspective. And you know exactly what you’re going to get from Zack Marshall and it’s a blend of talent and ability with really good understanding, like football IQ, and plays with fundamentals.

Number two, he practices as hard as anybody in the program. So again, this isn’t coach speak. None of us were surprised by what Zack Marshall went and did because we’ve watched him for the better part of the last two years practice that way. I said it in fall camp. I trust Zack Marshall with my life. I still feel that way. I’m happy for him. I’m proud of him. But that’s the expectation here.

Like, I don’t want to sound negative at all about this. That’s what we expected Zack to go and do. If you’re a tight end at Michigan, whether you’re the first guy, second guy, third guy, fifth guy, doesn’t really matter. Like you put a winged helmet on, you play tight end here. The expectation is when you get your chance, you go and play at an extraordinarily high level because that’s what’s occurred here for decades. And he’s just a continuation of that. Proud of him, happy for him. But he would tell you the same thing. Maybe not as bluntly or directly, but he expected to go play that way.

On areas of improvement for Zack Marshall and the other tight ends

Yep, so number one, if we touch it, we got to make it. We get our hands on it, we got to make it. There’s only going to be so many opportunities within any given game. At some point, we have to make the extraordinary — we’re not going to make every extraordinary or exceptional catch, but we got to go two for three. You know, we can’t go one for three. So that’s an area that we’re focused on. That just comes from rhythm and playing more and getting more opportunities. So that’s not really like, it’s just, that’s more of a mindset thing. If we get our hands on it, we got to make more of those contested or difficult catches, which in the game we did make some.

But we got to like, of course, you’re chasing perfect, you’re chasing to make every big one. And then like relative to the run game, there were some moments, not just in this most recent game, but throughout the season where we’re to the point in our maturation, development and ability, like no more ties in the run game, like every single gap scheme run or like backside inside zone. We got to win. We got to win. And we win more than most. But we, you know, we hold ourselves to an extremely high standard.

And I’ve said this over and over again. I think this is the deepest tight end room we’ve ever had. And I think when we’re all rolling on all cylinders, it’s as good of a tight end room as we’ve ever had. And we got to play that way each and every single snap.

On what he’s seen from Deakon Tonielli and his response to his drop

Well, he was unfazed by it. You communicate with your players during the game. But then you kind of communicate with a veteran player and kind of poke around like, hey, man, make sure he’s good. We’re going to need him. He was like, I mean this in the most positive fashion. He was like, not that he didn’t care. Right. But he was unfazed by it and knew that he was going to have to continue to go and play throughout the game. But big picture, what I’ve seen from Deakon, and I’ve said this, Coach Moore said this, it became this fall camp no longer if, it was just a matter of when.

And happy for him, proud of him. But that’s kind of what we expected him to kind of go in there and do to play at a really high level. And he did. He did it. So excited for him, happy for him. But now every time you do something really good, a new standard gets set. It’s like the new expectation for Deakon is like, hey, just go play really good because you’ve already done it. So happy for him, though.

On TE reps once the room is fully healthy

I think, and I’ve said this time and time again, none of the two of them are the same. We can really fine tune what we’re asking each one of them to do to give our offense the best chance to contribute. You know, Zack Marshall, I believe, played his career high in snaps in the most recent game.

Hogan Hansen had done it previously against USC. Deakon Tonielli played his career high in snaps. Jalen Hoffman played his career high in snaps and played exceptional. It’s a good problem to have, but be mindful of the fact that it is a rhythm position. You don’t want guys in and out each and every play. It’ll make for wonderful competition within the room, but in kind of like critical situations such as third down, red zone, short yardage, we can make sure the best people are doing the things they’re best at.

On coaching a unique position like tight end

It’s the dream. It’s like the best thing ever. I’m just going to say, I was always kind of like a heavy-set kid. I just was. So I grew up like, you know, wanting to be preaching to the choir. Yeah, I grew up wanting to be a skill guy, knowing I was going to be an O-lineman. So I was convinced like, all right, I figured out what this position fullback was, and I was going to be a fullback. It never happened. But the fact that I get to coach fullback, tight end, run game, route running, on the ball, run game, on the ball, pass protection, off the ball, run game, off the ball, pass protection. It’s like a dream come true. It’s the best thing ever. I have multiple great resources in the building to help me do it.

Coach Moore is involved and helps me coach my guys. We have an awesome, awesome, awesome offensive analyst here named Spencer McCourt, who’s from Michigan, is a Northwood grad, has been at Bowling Green, NC State. He’s outstanding in helping me coach all the various things that we have. Grant Newsome’s a wonderful resource. John Morookian has coached the position who’s here as an analyst. So I’m really fortunate of the help and support that we have, but it’s the best. I get to coach four or five guys that play in every game and they do vastly different things. And you have to be mindful and calculated about playing an individual because it’s very specialized. Really, there’s three positions in the room, but it’s a blast. It’s the best. I love it. I love being the tight end coach at Michigan.

On the level of difficulty of Max Bredeson’s block on the Jordan Marshall touchdown run

Yep. So for the common man, I would tell you there’s a reason not many people run the play. That it looks good. It draws up good on a whiteboard. You’ve played in the NFL, probably when wham or crunch or whatever you want to call it was as popular of a play that exists. For the common man, I would tell you it’s very difficult.

For 44, another day at the office. That’s what he’s here to do.