Question: Will Bama ever return to a physical running game?

RollTide_HTTR

Hall of Fame
Feb 22, 2017
8,766
6,532
187
Hopefully this year and the next few. We've recruited the position really well. When Tua is gone we are going to need it a heck of a lot more too.
 

IndyBison

1st Team
Dec 22, 2013
386
106
62
The real question is will football at any level ever return to power running, not likely. Too easy to play and teach "go deep and I'ii hit you".
North Dakota State still does it at the FCS level and is the primary reason they've been dominant. They develop big physical linemen on both sides so they have had a dominant defense to go with it. They've also been fortunate to only have 3 QBs in the last 8 years and all could run as well. Ironically the least successful statistically just signed a nice contract extension with the Eagles. They have a redshirt freshman potentially starting this fall so they could have another 4 years with the same guy.

I think a dominating power run game could still be very successful in the FBS level. The rules haven't changed that much in the last 10 years to help the passing game. Spread offenses have been common during that entire time. If you control the clock and wear down your opponent you'll usually win regardless of how high powered their offense is.
 

Rama Jama

All-American
Jan 4, 2011
3,303
240
82
Tuscaloosa
I think when Saban talks about the Alabama factor, he is talking about the run game. We have slowly gotten away from the dominant physical attack we had when he first got here in favor of a more finesse type of offense. Georgia is trying to do what we did in the beginning of the Saban era. It can be done, but not to the extent it was 10 years ago. This is a product of having to play the wide open offensive team one week and a power team the next. You have to be capable of both a dominant run game , and an efficient passing game to win today. I also agree that our line play has not been the same since we lost Stoutland. I'd pay him whatever we need to and get him back. We were at our best when he was the O-line coach.
 

bamaslammer

All-American
Jan 8, 2003
4,440
1,101
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Argo, AL, St Clair
www.kirkwoodhouse.com
Certainly the trend in college football is more and more to air it out. A mediocre team can become a contender if they can find a great QB. Winning it all would be hard but I think we've already seen mediocre teams with great QB's in the playoff. However that being said... The run game is about the line and the line is about the line coach. I have never seen a coach or line that was excellent at both run blocking and pass blocking. You have to choose. The 2012 line is the best we ever had and if you look back at the first few games of the season they really struggled to pass block and were never really great at it. But run blocking..... The last few seasons I feel we didn't emphasize physical run blocking and it showed. It ironically shows up more in the passing game. The reason everybody sent their ends in to kill Tua (and trust me, they wanted him in the hospital) was because they didn't fear our run game and with good reason, we did nothing last season in the run game. 4 yards here, 3 yards there, but you didn't see runners bursting free in the middle of the field. It was well contained.
 

EnterBama

Scout Team
Oct 24, 2018
146
0
0
It is obvious we are blessed with players in the passing game but I do miss the “impose your will running attack.”
I think Burton Burns retirement has had an effect we don't realize. He had those backs running a different way. Some of them talked about how he made them re-learn the RB position.
 

BamaInMo1

All-American
Oct 27, 2006
2,012
481
102
53
Cumming, GA
I believe we're heading back to a more powerful running game. Not necesarilly 3 yrds and a cloud of dust but able to get those tough yards when needed. Being able to do that and control the clock and just suck the will out of the opposing team is a beautiful thing to see.
This does not mean we're gonna drop the air raid. Just that we're gonna be able to run it even though you know it's coming.
 

GrayTide

Hall of Fame
Nov 15, 2005
18,810
6,245
187
Greenbow, Alabama
If 2013 and 2018 teach us one thing it should be the offense has to be able to pick up the tough yards in the running game when it has to do so.
This is exactly why I am afraid of the "Tua for Heisman" syndrome. I like Tua, think he is a fine young man, and certainly a great QB, but he has become our default offense. When all else fails, throw it deep. We have gone away from our identity, defense first, running game second, and pass when they are not expecting it. Old school thinking, yes. Defense still wins NC.
 

UAH

All-American
Nov 27, 2017
3,595
4,129
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This is exactly why I am afraid of the "Tua for Heisman" syndrome. I like Tua, think he is a fine young man, and certainly a great QB, but he has become our default offense. When all else fails, throw it deep. We have gone away from our identity, defense first, running game second, and pass when they are not expecting it. Old school thinking, yes. Defense still wins NC.
That has been my thought observing Tua mania. It always seemed to me that Coach Bryant had the attitude that if we can't line up and run the ball in the red zone then we are not tough enough to beat good football teams. I believe that is as true today as ever.
 

BamaMoon

Hall of Fame
Apr 1, 2004
20,932
15,934
282
Boone, NC
This is exactly why I am afraid of the "Tua for Heisman" syndrome. I like Tua, think he is a fine young man, and certainly a great QB, but he has become our default offense. When all else fails, throw it deep. We have gone away from our identity, defense first, running game second, and pass when they are not expecting it. Old school thinking, yes. Defense still wins NC.
I believe you need to wait and see what happens this year. That's a fair analysis of what happened last year - and I was amazed as anyone that CNS didn't fix it before the playoffs - but I really think fixing this problem is what CNS is referring to by saying we need to get back to the "Alabama factor."
 

jjv0004

1st Team
Dec 13, 2017
937
1,407
167
Greenville, SC
I know as a fan I miss the days where Bama would run all over the opponent. After you do that for a while, the defense starts to feel pretty demoralized. Just think, we had Ingram/Richardson, Yeldon/Lacey, Yeldon/Henry/Drake and most recently Harris/Jacobs/Harris. I really like this team but it might be the weakest group of running backs since 2009.
 

PA Tide Fan

All-American
Dec 11, 2014
4,442
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Lancaster, PA
I know as a fan I miss the days where Bama would run all over the opponent. After you do that for a while, the defense starts to feel pretty demoralized. Just think, we had Ingram/Richardson, Yeldon/Lacey, Yeldon/Henry/Drake and most recently Harris/Jacobs/Harris. I really like this team but it might be the weakest group of running backs since 2009.
The running back is obviously a key to a physical running game and you mention some great ones from the past. It certainly helps to have a bruising running back to carry the load and while Damien Harris played well for us I never thought he had quite the power of a Derrick Henry or an Eddie Lacy who could just run over people and drag defenders. Najee Harris doesn't quite have the power of those two either. If we could recruit another powerful RB like Henry or Lacy again then we could really get physical and punish the opponent.
 

BamaMoon

Hall of Fame
Apr 1, 2004
20,932
15,934
282
Boone, NC
The running back is obviously a key to a physical running game and you mention some great ones from the past. It certainly helps to have a bruising running back to carry the load and while Damien Harris played well for us I never thought he had quite the power of a Derrick Henry or an Eddie Lacy who could just run over people and drag defenders. Najee Harris doesn't quite have the power of those two either. If we could recruit another powerful RB like Henry or Lacy again then we could really get physical and punish the opponent.
This might be were Brian Robinson shows his worth next year.
 

ccc2259

All-American
Oct 29, 2010
2,571
70
72
Lower Alabama
I’ve heard Coach say that the defensive side of the ball is a system, and you don’t vary from it, while the offensive side of the ball is based on your players’ strengths and it can / will change accordingly.

So, depending on players, I can see us returning back to a run-heavy philosophy at some point.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

TIDE-HSV

Senior Administrator
Staff member
Oct 13, 1999
84,527
39,617
437
Huntsville, AL,USA
I know as a fan I miss the days where Bama would run all over the opponent. After you do that for a while, the defense starts to feel pretty demoralized. Just think, we had Ingram/Richardson, Yeldon/Lacey, Yeldon/Henry/Drake and most recently Harris/Jacobs/Harris. I really like this team but it might be the weakest group of running backs since 2009.
I think you may be surprised by Harris/Robinson...
 

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