renamed it "the Pistol") in 2005. While the pistol offense has been experimented with by dozens of college football teams such as LSU, Syracuse, Indiana, and Missouri, Ault's Nevada Wolf Pack is most strongly associated with the formation. Using the Pistol Offense, during the 2009 season, Nevada led the nation in rushing at 345 yards a game and were second in total offense at 506 yards. The Wolf Pack also became the first team in college football history with three 1,000-yard rushers in the same season: quarterback Colin Kaepernick and running backs Luke Lippincott and Vai Taua. Football Championship Subdivision team James Madison University used the pistol to help beat #13 ranked Virginia Tech on September 11, 2010. The pistol has also made the transition to the NFL, first used by the Kansas City Chiefs in 2008 with offensive coordinator Chan Gailey and Quarterback Tyler Thigpen, and became popular once used by the Carolina Panthers with Cam Newton and Robert Griffin III of the Washington Redskins, as well as the aforementioned Colin Kaepernick with the San Francisco 49ers, who in the NFL Playoffs versus the Green Bay Packers set the all-time single game rushing record for a quarterback with 181 yards. Along with the wildcat, the pistol has added more of a college "playmaker" aspect to the professional game. On December 5, 2010, the Pittsburgh Steelers used the Pistol offense so quarterback Ben Roethlisberger could play with a bad foot. Today, it is common in all levels of college football, and is gaining popularity among high school teams and in the NFL. Advantages The pistol retains the position and advantages of a shotgun formation; allowing the quarterback to see easily over the line and make downfield reads. The running back however, is positioned further back, allowing him to time to run up and build momentum similar to a play under center. The pistol offense can effectively use draw plays, counters, and options using three-wide receiver formations or multiple tight ends combined with a fullback for pass protection. In a pistol formation, handoffs occur 2-3 yards closer to the line of scrimmage than in the shotgun. In the traditional shotgun, run plays are most effectively run to the side opposite the running back, without a cutback to the other side. In the pistol, they can be effectively executed to either side of the QB, opening up more options for the offense.