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Alabama Pregame Show: Welcome back, Jam Miller | Tide faces stout Mizzou run game

1918632_10206777287683070_1367905321192383146_nby: Charlie Potter10/09/25Charlie_Potter

Alabama avoided a letdown and defeated Vanderbilt, 30-14, to advance to 4-1 (2-0 SEC) on the season. It was not a perfect game for the Crimson Tide, but it made plays when it mattered.

Quarterback Ty Simpson threw his first interception of the year and took four sacks — both of which he placed on his own shoulders after the game — but responded to pass for 340 yards and two touchdowns in the win. Simpson also led another impressive scoring drive in the final two minutes of the first half, which allowed Alabama to tie the game at 14-14.

In the second half, the Tide leaned on Jam Miller and the running game. In his second game of the year, Miller rushed for 136 yards and a 20-yard touchdown on 22 carries. Ten of those came in the fourth quarter, where Alabama took the air out of the ball and won the game.

Defensively, Alabama gave up a couple of explosive running plays in the first quarter, including a 65-yard touchdown, but after 113 yards in the first frame, Vanderbilt only mustered 22 yards on the ground the rest of the game. The Tide also forced two red-zone takeaways.

Alabama is 2-0 in conference play, but it doesn’t get any easier with a trip to Missouri on deck. The Tigers are undefeated on the season and are among the top 10 nationally in nearly every team statistical category. However, Mizzou hasn’t faced a very difficult schedule. In addition to playing every game at home, the Tigers have the 109th strength of schedule.

Weak schedule or not, Missouri has been able to run the ball on every team that it has faced. The Tigers are led by ULM transfer Ahmad Hardy, who enters the matchup as the nation’s leading rusher (730 yards, 9 TDs on 103 carries). But Missouri has two other tailbacks with 200 or more rushing yards, and quarterback Beau Pribula is also a running threat.

Alabama will take on Mizzou in Columbia on Saturday, October 11, at 11 a.m. CT (ABC) and will look to claim its first five-game winning streak under head coach Kalen DeBoer. Before the early kickoff at Faurot Field, BamaOnLine staff writers Charlie Potter and Blake Byler look back at the Tide’s win over Vanderbilt and ahead to the top-20 road matchup with Mizzou.

The Alabama-related topics discussed by the guys include:

– Final thoughts on Vanderbilt

– QB, RB and defense stand out

– This isn’t last year’s Mizzou

– Tigers have a stout run game

– Alabama wins if…

– Quick thoughts on Tide Hoops

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