He did not break a defensive back’s ankle like Trent Richardson did in 2012 versus Ole Miss; however, Najee Harris turned in a better overall performance than the former University of Alabama standout.
Despite not having a great outing against Texas A&M, Harris responded with a career day on last week.
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With a fiery offensive line in front of him, the senior running back gashed Mississippi for 206 yards rushing and five touchdowns on 23 carries in a 63-48 win for the Crimson Tide. He broke off three runs of 30-plus yards, including a 39-yard score and a 33-yard touchdown. Prior to the matchup, Harris never had a scoring run longer than 16 to 17 yards and he was happy to fix that.
The 6-foot-2, 230-pounder averaged nine yards per carry, while eight of his rushing attempts resulted in either first downs or scores for the Tide. He displayed his power, speed, balance, hurdling ability and other traits he fine-tuned over the summer with former Auburn running back, Brad Lester. Harris also caught three passes from Mac Jones for 42 receiving yards.
His excellence in the run game helped Jones record a second consecutive monster performance through the air.
Alabama’s balance allowed for Jones to complete 28 of 32 passes for 417 yards with two touchdowns.
On Monday, Harris was named Offensive Player of the week for the Southeastern Conference.
In the aftermath of his outing, he ranks at No. 10 all-time for rushing yards in school history (2,742). Harris has 10 rushing scores on the season and with Georgia coming to Bryant-Denny Stadium this week, his sights are set on feasting on its defense.
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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.
