More Pistol | by Kevin

Chris Brown of Smart Football has penned an illuminating overview of Nevada's "Pistol" formation, with video and analysis that should provide a helpful addition or supplement to our earlier overview of the Irish's first 2009 opponent.

My take on the Pistol in general, as well as the veer explained in detail at the end of Smart Football's writeup, remains the same: crash it. Stay in your lanes, remember your keys, but move -- make them pay for that split second lost on the fake handoff. ND should have one of the ten-best secondaries in the country this year. Until proven otherwise, trust the back three or four to stop Nevada's relatively inefficient (54% completion rate in 2008) passing game, then use ND's presumably superior front seven/eight athletes to pressure and neutralize Kaepernick's rushing game.