Alabama will look to lean on the run vs. Ole Miss amid passing game struggles
Alabama needs to find answers quickly after a lackluster outing for the passing game in Week 3 against South Florida. The Crimson Tide managed to eke out a 17-3 victory despite Tyler Buchner and Ty Simpson combined to go 10-of-23 (43.5%) passing for just 107 yards.
Buchner started the game but Simpson replaced him in the second quarter as Alabama entered halftime tied at 3 with the Bulls. Coach Nick Saban has already said the Crimson Tide will turn back to Jalen Milroe, who started the first two weeks, against Ole Miss on Saturday.
On3 college football analyst Clark Brooks joined Andy Staples on Tuesday, explaining why Alabama’s early performance has caused questions about whether the program is trending downward.
“Outside looking in, it doesn’t really look like things are running with 100% efficiency down there in Tuscaloosa,” he said. “Of course, over the weekend really sloppy, rocky 17-3 road win against USF. Their quarterback one — asterisk — didn’t even play that game. Doesn’t look too pretty. A lot of people have said the dynasty is on decline or the dynasty is decaying and it’s really hard to come up with a rebuttal to that type of claim right now.”
Alabama was able to get things going offensively in the second half on Saturday by turning to the run and almost completely abandoning the passing game. The Crimson Tide passed only six times over the final two quarters compared to 24 rushing attempts. Roydell Williams and Jase McClellan combined to run for 203 yards and a touchdown, 128 of which came in the second half.
Brooks pointed out on Twitter this week that the two running backs combined to break 15 tackles (McClellan 9, Williams 6) and had seven explosive carries in the game. Given the success Alabama saw when it focused on the run, that may again be the best game plan in Week 4.
“It’s kind of a common theme if you’re a bigger, stronger team and you’re playing a lower-level opponent, you tend to run a little bit more multi-tight end sets,” Brooks said. “You tend to run a little bit more gap scheme. Why? You’re bigger than them. It’s a physical game. You’re trying to push them back.
“I don’t know if it was out of preference or just out of necessity that Alabama turned to running 12 personnel duo after halftime. They ran that play 14 times. Twelve came with two tight ends and 11 came after halftime. If that wasn’t any bit of evidence that they didn’t trust whomever was back there at quarterback, nothing really was working except for getting north and south and running behind a double team at the point of attack.”
The return of Milroe could bring some life back to the passing game. He was clearly the best option of the three quarterbacks after throwing for 449 yards, five touchdowns and two interceptions in Weeks 1 and 2. Additionally, he provides a dual threat element that Buchner and Simpson don’t.
That in mind, the Crimson Tide could be even more inclined to run the ball with Milroe in the game. The offensive line will have to be more effective as the running backs averaged just 1.3 yards before contact in Week 3, but Brooks likes the talent in the backfield.
“They do have excellent backs,” he said. “Very keen on making plays after contact, breaking tackles. Of course, those were stable metrics that just make my heart throb. Even though there’s major concerns with that offensive line — we’re in year 3 of this thing where the offensive line is not playing at the level they need to — but because of the backs, they’re gonna have a shot.”
Kickoff between Alabama and Ole Miss is set for 3:30 p.m. ET on Saturday in Tuscaloosa.