It was not the explosive plays it got against New Mexico State; however, fans of Alabama football saw its Crimson Tide have consistency in the run game versus Southern Mississippi.
Under the leadership of Kyle Flood, the Tide’s offensive unit opened holes for its first 100-yard rusher of the season in Najee Harris. The junior and former five-star from California pressed the holes well and took full advantage of his opportunity.
Alabama had not boasted a 100-yard rushing performance since Damien Harris (107 yards) versus LSU at Tiger Stadium last season.
The current Harris for the Tide totaled 110 yards on 14 carries, to a tune of roughly eight yards (7.9) with a long run of 17 yards. Six of his 14 rushers went for first downs, while the right side (Landon Dickerson; Jedrick Wills) of the line blocked for 59 percent – 65 of 110 – of his yards.
RELATED: Alabama 2020 NFL Draft projections
Along with Harris, Brian Robinson averaged a healthy 4.9 yards per carry and the duo of he and Jerome Ford both tallied one rushing score apiece.
After not being able to enforce its will to generate balance, this is a good sign for Alabama – especially with Deonte Brown returning next week against Mississippi at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Inserting him back into the lineup presents the Tide with much-needed nastiness in the run game and pass protection for conference action.
Nick Saban was happy to see his team spit out good yardage in a 49-7 win over the Golden Eagles, and it builds confidence for the group moving forward.
*Get the BEST Alabama football insider information, message board access, and recruiting coverage today! SIGN UP HERE to unlock our subscriber only content!*
Stephen M. Smith is the managing editor and senior writer for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can “like” him on Facebook or “follow” him on Twitter, via @CoachingMSmith.
