When running backs coach Jim Mastro came to Oregon from Washington State in 2018, he brought with him a wealth of knowledge and success in running the football.
And rightly so. Mastro is credited for being one of the architects of the renowned pistol attack offense popularized by Nevada Wolfpack head coach Chris Ault where Mastro was an assistant for eleven years.
The pistol attack is a hybrid of the traditional shotgun and single back offenses, which if done correctly, causes opposing defenses to react much quicker to a variety of potential options which includes the threat of a running quarterback which the Ducks have.
Mastro is the maestro of this multi-dimensional attack.
It’s specifically created to identify mismatches between the offense and defense through different formations. And given Mastro has a bevy of extremely talented running backs at his disposal, the Ducks should have one of the best running attacks in the Pac-12, if not in the nation.
Now, add in the arrival of offensive coordinator Joe Moorhead, and you have a brain trust that rivals any staff in college football.
But, with Moorhead’s arrival, just how much of the pistol attack will we see in the Ducks new offense?
“You’ll see a lot of it” said Mastro on Wednesday when asked the question.
“It’s not going to go anywhere. It’s kinda the great equalizer in the run game. We don’t kinda give the answers to the test. You’ll see it as much as Coach Moorhead wants to call it.
He had never done it before until he got here and I know he really, really likes it. We’ll just let him play with it as he see’s fit.”
One of the valuable tools in Mastro’s tool kit is junior tailback C.J Verdell who’s entering his third season in the pistol attack. In his first two seasons under Mastro’s guidance, Verdell has rushed for over 1,000 yards in each of those seasons and is just 68 yards away from cracking Oregon’s Top 10 in school history.
“He’s kind of taken his game to the next level” explained Mastro.
“The big thing with him was how he kind of changed his body in the off season as far as nutrition, taking care of himself a little bit better. He’s as dynamic as they come. We expect a lot of him this year. He’s a unique individual. To me he’s the best back in this league, if not in the country.”
JIM MASTRO TALKS OREGON RUNNING GAME