It is obvious we are blessed with players in the passing game but I do miss the “impose your will running attack.”
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Question: Will Bama ever return to a physical running game?
- Thread starter Tide&True
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I really thought we were poised to do that last year, but it never really materialized. Hopefully the change in OL coaching will help this. I love it when you need a 12 play drive to let the air out of the ball and nothing the defense does can stop the run game they KNOW is coming...
I love the power run game but think it is a thing of the past. We are recruiting elite QBs, WRs and TEs. They want to see an explosive offense and visualize themselves on the field. That is what the Bama O has developed into and one of the reasons everyone who is anyone being recruited in football trips to T-Town for a looksey.
Someone on here asked last year asked what's the difference if you gain 300 yards through the air or on the ground. The difference is that 300 yards on the ground is demoralizing to the opponent.
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".
I wish but no.
I do however think we'll see more of that element in the second half of games if Najee stays healthy and the O-line develops with Sark on the call.
I do however think we'll see more of that element in the second half of games if Najee stays healthy and the O-line develops with Sark on the call.
We tend to have more championship success in years where we have a 1000 yard rusher. Under Nick Saban, we've never won a national title without a 1000 yard rusher. Some of our notable "falling just short" seasons - 2014, 2016, and 2018 - all had a leader rusher with <1000 yards.
Yep. Deonte Brown going down had a similar effect to SDH and Eddie Jackson going down in previous seasons.
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Ask UGA how an Alabama offense from 2008-2013 has worked for them...
Until defenses are capable of stopping a quick strike offense on a consistent basis, I don’t think dominant run first offenses will be as useful as it was in 2008-2013
Until defenses are capable of stopping a quick strike offense on a consistent basis, I don’t think dominant run first offenses will be as useful as it was in 2008-2013
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It really depends on personnel. I think if a team wants to be really run heavy on offense they need an elite defense (Top 5). We had elite defenses in the past and perhaps made a mistake throwing as much as we did. Last season however we really needed to throw the ball as the defense was not at that level. This years defense may be better but still not elite. Also with a QB as talented as Tua I think it's a terrible waste of talent to try and pound our opponents to death. Because of Tua I think last season our OL really worked on pass blocking more than normal which meant less time on run blocking and ended up hurting us when we really needed those few tough yards on the ground But there's only so much practice time so what does one do?. We might go back to power football in the future if we have that elite defense but only an average passer at QB.
It didn’t for Clemson. We lost because we had no idea how to punch the ball in on the goal line and we had an average defense going against a quick strike offense.
Physical running game ≠ run first / run dominant game.
What most of us are asking is when will our absolutely stacked OL and RB combo pay dividends like it did a few years ago. Doesn't mean Bama always run or run first, just means that when they want to, they can exert their will on the other team. We haven't seen that in a few years.
What most of us are asking is when will our absolutely stacked OL and RB combo pay dividends like it did a few years ago. Doesn't mean Bama always run or run first, just means that when they want to, they can exert their will on the other team. We haven't seen that in a few years.
Mainly because we couldn't physically impose our will. I'm convinced (and have been for years) that Brent Key is responsible for that and am hopeful we'll see a return to a Pendry / Stoutland type of OL play now that he's gone.
We might have the right guys to do it, but some of the rules in effect today favor the Passing game more than the Rushing Attack.
I loved the heyday of Alabama's Running Game.
Some of our players even told their defense where we were going to run...
Then we proceed to push their Defenses where we wanted and still ran over them.
Sometimes it was Three Yards and a Cloud of Dust, but we broke their will doing it.
When we ran, we owned the clock.
The game goes in cycles, and right now, we're in the height of a passing cycle. Running when you want to still wins, and if we'd been able to do that, I think the Clemson game would have been a lot closer. Maybe even a different outcome, but that's hard to say. But we weren't able to run when it really mattered, and in combination with Clemson's excellent offensive play and our own shortcomings on both sides of the ball, we got our heads handed to us.
I think you will see a return to more ball-control, starting this year. That includes both a power run game and more willingness to check down to shorter passes to RBs. That has the potential to open up the deep passes, as DBs start cheating down into run support. Under those circumstances, play action to our WRs has the potential to be devastating.
So yes, I think we go to more ball control, which is distinct from three-yards-and-a-cloud-of-dust. It encompasses the power run, but also includes quick short passes, and play action deep.
In a boxing analogy, body blow, body blow, body blow. Then when elbows drop to protect the ribs, a haymaker over the top.
I think you will see a return to more ball-control, starting this year. That includes both a power run game and more willingness to check down to shorter passes to RBs. That has the potential to open up the deep passes, as DBs start cheating down into run support. Under those circumstances, play action to our WRs has the potential to be devastating.
So yes, I think we go to more ball control, which is distinct from three-yards-and-a-cloud-of-dust. It encompasses the power run, but also includes quick short passes, and play action deep.
In a boxing analogy, body blow, body blow, body blow. Then when elbows drop to protect the ribs, a haymaker over the top.
It is hard to have a dominating running game when for the last several years we've had at least one player who consistently struggled with busted assignments in the running game.
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