Why do we have no run game?

[stlimprov]

Can we just start an emo band already?

 

[Tidewater]

I've said it before but I will say it again, Bama needs to have at least a decent run game or they are going to run into a team that shuts down the pass and Bama has nothing else to fall back on.
Think Bama vs. USC 2009 and Bama vs LSU 2015.* An effective running game can steal the other team's manhood and crush their morale. A good rushing attack can "drive your enemies before you and hear the lamentation of their women."

* And before anybody points it out, what the Bama rushing attack in 2009 and that of 2015 had in common with each other was a Heisman Trophy running back. I do not think the Bama rushing attack needs to be that good, just competent.

 

[graydogg85]

I’ve weighed in on other threads, but IMO the biggest reason for the run game struggles is that our offense is essentially a modified version of the Air Raid. We use a lot of the same terminology. We do have tight ends and some power formations, and there’s a more concerted attempt at balance, but otherwise it’s the Air Raid. It’s DeBoer’s scheme regardless of who calls plays, but historically it tends to get even more pass heavy when Grubb is calling plays. Last season was a complete aberration. It was DeBoer and Sheridan realizing that we had a track star QB who couldn’t successfully throw the ball 35 times per game, and so they (wisely) adjusted accordingly. Even last season, production from the running backs was lackluster at best.

A lot of folks have said “they had a 1,000 yard rusher at Washington” and that’s true, but as a team they still only averaged 118 rushing yards per game in 2023 (pretty much in line with our season thus far). And that was against PAC-12 defenses.

I think there’s an element of Grubb trying to run the ball because “by golly, we have to”, but he also abandons it for long stretches like you’d expect an Air Raid offense to do. I think at one point against LSU, we threw the ball on 17 out of 18 plays.

For better or worse, this is the DeBoer offense. We knew this when he was hired. The run game can get marginally better with personnel who are better suited (i.e. lighter offensive linemen and more Kevin Riley type backs), but honestly I don’t think the pure RB run game is ever going to be a point of huge emphasis from this staff, largely by design.

For all the complaints about the OL, I think for the most part they’ve been pretty darn good in pass protection this season. I don’t consider this a coaching issue so much as a scheme issue. Even if they change OL coaches, DeBoer isn’t going to hire someone who coaches power running OL techniques. It would be someone else with experience in a similar system. When DeBoer was hired and his OL coach at Washington didn’t migrate, there was a lot of talk about bringing in one of Mike Leach’s former OL coaches (can’t recall the name).

Thing is, this type of system can still be pretty successful IF we have elite QB, elite WR and elite defensive play on a consistent basis. It does put a ton of pressure on those three elements though.

I think the idea that you absolutely have to be able to run the ball is overvalued in the modern game - and frankly, with NIL and increased parity it will become increasingly harder to do so. Look at the NFL - 120 rushing yards is a banner day for most pro teams.

 

[4Q Basket Case]

Is the problem OL talent?

OL development?

OL coaching?

S&C?

How much of a role do the RBs play?

It's somewhere in there. Where, I don't know. But I agree that it's not fixable this year. We can do some smoke and mirrors, but it's going to cost us at some point.

 

[Coach D]

I’ve weighed in on other threads, but IMO the biggest reason for the run game struggles is that our offense is essentially a modified version of the Air Raid. We use a lot of the same terminology. We do have tight ends and some power formations, and there’s a more concerted attempt at balance, but otherwise it’s the Air Raid. It’s DeBoer’s scheme regardless of who calls plays, but historically it tends to get even more pass heavy when Grubb is calling plays. Last season was a complete aberration. It was DeBoer and Sheridan realizing that we had a track star QB who couldn’t successfully throw the ball 35 times per game, and so they (wisely) adjusted accordingly. Even last season, production from the running backs was lackluster at best.

A lot of folks have said “they had a 1,000 yard rusher at Washington” and that’s true, but as a team they still only averaged 118 rushing yards per game in 2023 (pretty much in line with our season thus far). And that was against PAC-12 defenses.

I think there’s an element of Grubb trying to run the ball because “by golly, we have to”, but he also abandons it for long stretches like you’d expect an Air Raid offense to do. I think at one point against LSU, we threw the ball on 17 out of 18 plays.

For better or worse, this is the DeBoer offense. We knew this when he was hired. The run game can get marginally better with personnel who are better suited (i.e. lighter offensive linemen and more Kevin Riley type backs), but honestly I don’t think the pure RB run game is ever going to be a point of huge emphasis from this staff, largely by design.

For all the complaints about the OL, I think for the most part they’ve been pretty darn good in pass protection this season. I don’t consider this a coaching issue so much as a scheme issue. Even if they change OL coaches, DeBoer isn’t going to hire someone who coaches power running OL techniques. It would be someone else with experience in a similar system. When DeBoer was hired and his OL coach at Washington didn’t migrate, there was a lot of talk about bringing in one of Mike Leach’s former OL coaches (can’t recall the name).

Thing is, this type of system can still be pretty successful IF we have elite QB, elite WR and elite defensive play on a consistent basis. It does put a ton of pressure on those three elements though.

I think the idea that you absolutely have to be able to run the ball is overvalued in the modern game - and frankly, with NIL and increased parity it will become increasingly harder to do so. Look at the NFL - 120 rushing yards is a banner day for most pro teams.

I think people are in extremes one side or the other. Think you’re in the extreme of the passing and no running game problem. The staff are trying to improve the run game and even in the off week asked for outside help. Take the first 4th down failure as an example of the run game being an issue.

But like I said you have the extreme other side which seems like the majority here saying it’s a huge failure. But you’re right a lot of it is part of the system.

My opinion from all I see and here is it appears the staff is trying to have more actual balance and learning in the SEC and as a national contender you need to be and to run with more success. So the run game is an issue but part of it is the RBs just aren’t as good as needed, their vision is bad and add in o line is not what is needed for this system it’s a bad combo.

 

[Bamabuzzard]

The Film Guy does a heckuva job breaking down some of the reasons our running game is so bad. He says part of it is the running back and how he (Miller) approaches the LOS. But A LOT of it is our offensive linemen take bad angles to their blocks and have bad footwork. He dissects about 20 plays and shows all of these things in play. We're just not a fundamentally sound run blocking team. Too many guys getting their pads over their feet, not taking the correct angles to their blocks and having bad footwork.

 

[4Q Basket Case]

The Film Guy does a heckuva job breaking down some of the reasons our running game is so bad. He says part of it is the running back and how he (Miller) approaches the LOS. But A LOT of it is our offensive linemen take bad angles to their blocks and have bad footwork. He dissects about 20 plays and shows all of these things in play. We're just not a fundamentally sound run blocking team. Too many guys getting their pads over their feet, not taking the correct angles to their blocks and having bad footwork.

I don't know the first thing about coaching OL or evaluating OL coaches.

But if the Film Guy is right, all those problems he cites strike me as symptoms of poor coaching.

 

[Special K]

The video Bamabuzzard posted is the one I mentioned earlier in this thread. I didn't link it due to a couple of "S" words in the video, but I think Austin is spot on. I think he's right that most of our problems are not scheme/playcalling as much as technique and execution. How much is due to poor coaching? Don't know, but they are all issues that are (mostly) fixable and should already be fixed 10 games in.

 

[gtgilbert]

The video Bamabuzzard posted is the one I mentioned earlier in this thread. I didn't link it due to a couple of "S" words in the video, but I think Austin is spot on. I think he's right that most of our problems are not scheme/playcalling as much as technique and execution. How much is due to poor coaching? Don't know, but they are all issues that are (mostly) fixable and should already be fixed 10 games in.

ys part of it is the running back and how he (Miller) approaches the LOS. But A LOT of it is our offensive linemen take bad angles to their blocks and have bad footwork. He dissects about 20 plays and shows all of these things in play. We're just not a fundamentally sound run blocking team. Too many guys getting their pads over their feet, not taking the correct angles to their bloc

ys part of it is the running back and how he (Miller) approaches the LOS. But A LOT of it is our offensive linemen take bad angles to their blocks and have bad footwork. He dissects about 20 plays and shows all of these things in play. We're just not a fundamentally sound run blocking team. Too many guys getting their pads over their feet, not taking the correct angles to their bloc

When I look at all of this, what I think I see is a lack of reps and putting guys through these situations with the scout team at game speed, especially when DL and LBs take different approaches and slants toward the LOS. The OL need reps, and reps TOGETHER, where they are forced to make these types of adjustments at speed. There were just too many examples that looked like the OL were doing 'what was drawn up' in a perfect world, without being forced to deal with what happens when the DL does something just a little different.

 

[bamadwain]

I think we don't have the lineman to run CKD offense, these guys are taught to pass block first, reason why they are not that physical and it's to late in the year to fix so it is what it is

 

[RollTide_HTTR]

We can't run block and we have mediocre RBs

 

[graydogg85]

When I look at all of this, what I think I see is a lack of reps and putting guys through these situations with the scout team at game speed, especially when DL and LBs take different approaches and slants toward the LOS. The OL need reps, and reps TOGETHER, where they are forced to make these types of adjustments at speed. There were just too many examples that looked like the OL were doing 'what was drawn up' in a perfect world, without being forced to deal with what happens when the DL does something just a little different.

Agreed - and I think this points back to the offense being an Air Raid offense at its core. Those practice reps you referenced are being used on pass plays if I had to guess.

 

[TideMan09]

Our run game has been a head scratcher & disappointing, too run the ball effectively, you have too commit to running the ball no matter if you have 3 n out's..

It takes time & patience when it's not working, a commitment too keep running & gel as a offensive line running the ball..

 

[Ledsteplin]

I'm not sure what's going on with the run game, but several other teams have the same problem.

 

[JDCrimson]

We were talking about this today. The current clock rules dont favor running the football. Teams need to squeeze the same number of possessions out of a shorter game. Relying on the run game now takes too long to score and this takes away possessions. We are choosing to run the ball with our short passing game because we can better change the pace of the game from play to play.

We arent effective doing it but we are probably running with a similar frequency of NFL offenses who operate under the same clock rules.

I think all of the above is why so many teams are struggling to run the ball with much effectiveness.