Pistol Offense: Is It The Best?

Each year the Pistol Offense gains more converts but is it the best offense? Last season the Nevada Wolf Pack, whose coach Chris Ault invented the Pistol produced the first back field to have 3 one thousand yard rushers in one season. Colin Kaepernick the quarter back and running backs Luke Lippincott and Vai Taua all produced more rushing yards than thought possible.

November 26,2010 in Mackay Stadium, home to the Nevada Wolf Pack the nation got an up close and personal look at how the Pistol Offense operates. They were playing host to #4 in the BCS Polls, the Boise State Broncos. One of the most balanced teams in the country that has one of the stingiest defenses in the nation. Giving up just over 215 yards per game and holding teams like Virginia Tech and running backs like Quizz Rogers to less than normal performances, the Pack was about to face the toughest defense they had faced all season.

The Pistol is designed to create a downhill running game and with a quarterback that can dun and pass, it becomes a bigger threat to the defense.

What the viewing audience saw was a second half where the Nevada running game shredded the Boise defense at will, gashing the Broncos for good gains on every run.

The Pack was able to gain 269 yards rushing, more yards than the average combined passing and rushing attacks of the previous ten teams Boise played this year. Earning 239 yards in the second half as the Nevada line wore down the defensive line,doing exactly what the Pistol is designed to do.

The Boise State defensive strategy was to place spies on the Nevada Quarterback Kaepernick and prevent him from getting to the edge and turning up field. During the first half they were successful however using effective blocking schemes the Pack offense was able to open large holes in the line. The running backs were not getting first contact till at least two to three yards past the line of scrimmage. Their running attack averaged over four yards per carry. In the fourth quarter it was very evident that the Bronco Defense was gassed and the Nevada running game operated at will.

This offense is very lethal to any defense when it is operated by a running passing quarterback. It makes the defense put a spy on the QB taking away a would be tackler from going after the running back. Nevada has Colin Kaepernick, the perfect quarterback for this offense, he can pass and run. These last two seasons he has rushed for over 1,000 yards.

The Pistol Offense is here to stay, it takes good offensive linemen blocking schemes and a quarterback who can run and pass to make it work, when it does, it is very effective.
Use the following links to see the Nevada Pistol Offense DVDs and linemen blocking for the Pistol.
Pistol
Offense DVDs
Offensive Linemen in the Pistol Offense