Notre Dame vs. Nevada Preview: The Pistol Offense Invades South Bend

(Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)

Much has been made of Notre Dame’s supposedly easier schedule but the Irish won’t get a break in their season opener.  Notre Dame’s high expectations will be tested right out of the gates against a tough Nevada squad.  

Nevada ranked No. 5 in total offense last year and figures to be just as explosive and dangerous this time around.  

Nevada’s fifth-ranked juggernaut utilized the fairly new and innovative pistol formation.  The pistol offense is similar to the shotgun spread attack.  Instead of dropping all the way back, the quarterback lines up three yards behind center with the running back directly behind him.

The pistol is a zone based power running scheme best utilized with a duel threat quarterback, the running game sets up the passing game.  Since the running back is directly behind the QB, it can be confusing to defenses to figure out which way the back is going.  

This obviously creates a perfect situation for the play-action pass.  Nevada’s rushing attack ranked No. 3 nationally but they were no slouch in tossing the ball around either, ranking No. 47 with 3,000 yards.

Nevada is well versed in the pistol formation as head coach Chris Ault invented it and started using it in 2004.  

Ault is also an active member of the College Football Hall of Fame—he was inducted in 2002—and the Nevada players will pay a visit to the Hall on Friday before the game.

The game also features one of the better quarterback duels of the entire season.  Even fans with no interest in the game should tune in just to see the offensive fireworks that will be on display in South Bend.  

Everyone knows about Jimmy Clausen but a lot of folks will discover another one of college football’s elite QB’s in Nevada’s Colin Kaepernick.  

Kaepernick doesn’t come with the hype or pedigree that Clausen does—he had just one division I scholarship offer—but has been more productive than his more hyped counterpart.  

Kaepernick stands 6-6 and weighs 215 pounds and was known more for baseball in high school, he throws a 94 mph fastball and was drafted by the Chicago Cubs this year.  Lucky for us CFB diehards, Colin chose to play football instead. 

Kaepernick models his game on another tantalizing duel threat QB--Vince Young--and the comparison is accurate.  Last year he became only the fifth player in FBS history to throw for more than 2,000 yards and rush for more than 1,000 in the same season, putting him in that exclusive club with Vince Young.

His 2,849 yards passing and 1,130 rushing yards with 17 TD’s was better than Tim Tebow last year.  Yes that’s right, better than Tim Tebow.  

Though Kaepernick was more productive, Jimmy Clausen was no slouch last year either.  Clausen, behind a much improved offensive line, threw for 3,172 yards with 25 touchdowns against 17 INT’s.  

Notre Dame is loaded with top ranked talent on both sides of the ball but especially on offense.  The Irish have the talent to become a top five offense if they can protect Clausen and establish a running game.

You're currently logged into Facebook

Do you want to share your Bleacher Report activity on Facebook?