‘Pistol’ aimed at Huskers

LINCOLN, Neb. — Nebraska has seen plenty of shotgun formations from opposing offenses over the years. Today, the 20th-ranked Cornhuskers get a look at the pistol.

UNR coach Chris Ault is the guru of the system that puts the quarterback 3 or 4 yards behind center rather than the 5 or more that is standard in the shotgun.

Draw plays, misdirection and options are featured in the running game. Well-disguised play-action and quick timing routes mark the passing game.

“I like their offense and what they’ve done with it,” Nebraska coach Bill Callahan said. “I just think that what they’ve done in the past with their quarterbacks has been outstanding.”

The offense was installed after the 2004 season. The Wolf Pack was coming off a 5-7 season, including a 3-5 mark in the Western Athletic Conference.

“When I got back in the saddle that first year, we were pathetic,” said Ault, who is starting the fourth season of his third stint at UNR. “My concern was how can you get better and compete in our conference.”

It wasn’t an easy sell when Ault introduced the pistol in January 2005. “When I told the staff we were going to look at it, they thought we should get this guy committed,” Ault said.

The results were immediate. The Wolf Pack finished 9-3 overall and tied for first in the WAC at 7-1 in 2005. It was 14th nationally in total offense (449.3 yards per game) and 16th in scoring (34.2 points). It rushed for 199.5 yards per game and passed for 249.8.

“I enjoyed watching shotgun teams. I just felt when they ran the ball, all the running was east-west,” Ault said. “I asked myself if there were a way you could put the back behind you and go north-south out of the shotgun. How would it align and get the quarterback more involved?”

The Wolf Pack has a first-time starter at quarterback in Nick Graziano. He replaces Jeff Rowe, who was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals.

Graziano, a sophomore, won the job over redshirt freshman Colin Kaepernick. Both will play, Ault said.

For Nebraska, Callahan’s West Coast offense has a new point man. Sam Keller, an Arizona State transfer, will make his first start for the Huskers.

Keller, a senior, was the Most Valuable Player of the Sun Bowl at the end of the 2004 season. In 2005, he threw for 2,165 yards and 20 touchdowns in the first seven games before a season-ending hand injury.