Transfer portal notebook: Alabama needs to find way for Jahmyr Gibbs to co-exist with Bryce Young
It took a while, but Alabama running back Jahmyr Gibbs is providing the type of production that led to him being the top running back in the transfer portal this past offseason.
Gibbs, who transferred after two seasons at Georgia Tech, ran for 154 yards on 21 carries against Texas A&M last week, giving him 360 yards in the past two games; Gibbs had just 172 yards in the first four games. Gibbs also had three receptions against the Aggies, giving him 22 receptions for 220 yards on the season.
Now the key is for Gibbs to produce when quarterback Bryce Young is on the field.
Young was injured early during the second quarter against Arkansas. The Tide understandably became more run-heavy with Young out, and Gibbs took advantage. He rushed for 33 yards on seven carries with Young as quarterback; he rushed for 173 yards on 11 carries after Jalen Milroe replaced Young. Everything is not equal, of course; he had two TD runs of 70-plus yards in the fourth quarter, when you could argue that Arkansas’ defense was worn down a bit. At the same time, Arkansas had rallied from a 28-0 deficit to make it 28-23, so there was some urgency on both sides. Gibbs’ first long TD run helped the Tide build its lead back up to 19, and the other long scoring jaunt completed the scoring.
Worth noting: Gibbs has 64 carries on the season, and 32 have come with Young on the bench. Again, the offensive emphasis shifted from the pass to the run without Young. Still, it would seem prudent for offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien to make sure Gibbs gets a heavy workload when Young returns, which should be Saturday in an SEC showdown at Tennessee.
The 21 carries against A&M was a career-high. “I definitely feel like I can take on that workload every game,” Gibbs said at his media availability Tuesday.
The interesting aspect of the Tide rushing attack? It was at its most productive when Arkansas and Texas A&M knew it was coming. Milroe isn’t close to the passer that Young is. Yet Gibbs was able to produce when the Hogs and Aggies were keying on stopping the run. You’d think that when Young returns and defenses again truly have to respect the pass, there will be a lot of room for Gibbs.
Tide coach Nick Saban has praised Gibbs basically from the moment he stepped on campus, and he was at it again after the win over A&M. “The guy is a really good runner, “ Saban said. “He does a great job of stretching plays on the perimeter and sticking his foot in the ground, making cuts and setting up blocks for the offensive line.”
Presumably, Saban will make sure that O’Brien makes sure Gibbs gets ample opportunity moving forward.
7th-year senior Lindsey Scott putting up numbers
A few weeks ago, we wrote about Incarnate Word quarterback Lindsey Scott, a seventh-year senior who began his career at LSU in 2016, when Les Miles still was coach.
Well, Scott is coming off a 401-yard, seven-TD performance in a 56-17 victory over Southland Conference foe Lamar. All the more amazing: He did all that in the first half. UIW led 56-10 at halftime and Scott didn’t play in the second half.
Scott finished 23-of-26, meaning he had more than twice as many TD passes as incompletions. He threw four TD passes in the first quarter and guided UIW to TDs on all eight of its first-half possessions.
Scott has thrown for 2,179 yards in six games, with 27 TDs and two interceptions; he’s also completing 74.1 percent of his attempts (143-of-193) for the Cardinals (5-1), who are ranked 10th in the FCS coaches poll.
Transfer RBs haven’t produced for Michigan State
Michigan State has been a massive disappointment this season. The Spartans went 11-2 last season and were ranked 15th in the preseason AP poll. At this point, though, the Spartans are more worried about getting to six wins and a bowl than they are about a ranking.
Michigan State opened 2-0 but has lost four in a row heading into Saturday’s game against Wisconsin. The defense has been shaky, but the biggest problem has been a rushing attack that has disappeared.
The Spartans struck gold in the transfer portal last season with Kenneth Walker III, who transferred from Wake Forest and led all Power 5 rushers with 1,636 yards; he also had 18 rushing touchdowns. But he left for the NFL, and Spartans coaches went back into the portal and grabbed two backs: Jarek Broussard from Colorado and Jalen Berger from Wisconsin. It hasn’t worked out.
Michigan State did put up big numbers in the first two games, rushing for a combined 457 yards in routs of Akron and Western Michigan. But the total is just 187 yards in the past four games, losses to Washington, Minnesota, Maryland and Ohio State. That’s 46.8 yards per game. That’s embarrassing.
Will it get any better this week? Wisconsin isn’t as stout defensively as it has been in recent seasons, but the Badgers still are allowing just 117.0 rushing yards per game.
Berger should have extra incentive; not only is he going against his former team, he’s going against the program that dismissed him during the season last fall. He and Broussard have combined for 493 yards through six games; Walker had 913 in the first six games last season.
Transfers in the spotlight
As with Berger, there are numerous interesting portal stories with this week’s schedule. Here are five more.
+ Alabama LB Henry To’oTo’o vs. Tennessee: To’oTo’o is a former Vol who transferred following the 2020 season. He led the Tide with 112 tackles last season and leads with 39 this season. He had five tackles in the Tide’s easy win over the Vols last season; this season’s game figures to be much tougher, and not just because it’s in Knoxville. To’oTo’o told reporters earlier this week that he’s looking forward to returning to Neyland Stadium: “Definitely super-excited. You guys already know my journey and where I started, so definitely going to be a huge challenge.”
+ Ole Miss DT J.J. Pegues vs. Auburn: Pegues is from Oxford (Miss.) High, whose campus is about 5 miles from Ole Miss’. He signed with Auburn in 2020 as a tight end – a 300-pound tight end. He played tight end that season, then moved to the defensive line and made 17 tackles last season. Pegues transferred “home” to Ole Miss during the offseason and is an important rotation piece up front for a defense that has been much better than expected. Auburn’s offense has struggled, and the rushing attack has been a big disappointment the past four games. Ole Miss figures to win anyway. But if Pegues (now a 315-pounder) and his defensive mates can clog up the running lanes, it’ll be easier.
+ The quarterbacks in Georgia Southern-James Madison: James Madison (5-0) is in its first season in the FBS ranks and is ranked No. 25 this week, a testament to the program’s solid foundation. One reason for the hot start is well-traveled QB Todd Centeio, who began his career at Temple, transferred to Colorado State and then moved on to JMU. He is 11th nationally in total offense at 320.2 yards per game; he has thrown for 1,312 yards and 15 TDs, and rushed for 289 and two scores. He’s actually two spots below Georgia Southern QB Kyle Vantrease in total offense; Vantrease, a Buffalo transfer, is averaging 329.0 yards per game for the Eagles (3-3). Almost all of his yardage has come in the air (1,933, with 13 TDs); he has rushed for 41 yards and two scores. Another difference: Vantrease has thrown 11 picks, Centeio one. And JMU’s defense is a lot better than Georgia Southern’s – the Dukes give up a staggering 224.4 fewer yards per game than the Eagles (452.8 to 228.4).
+ The ‘transfer backfields’ at USC and Utah: After losing last week to UCLA, Utah likely needs to beat the Trojans to have any shot at a return visit to the Pac-12 title game. To do so, the Utes will need big games from QB Cameron Rising (a Texas transfer) and RB Tavion Thomas (a Cincinnati transfer). USC counters with one of the best QB/RB duos in the nation in QB Caleb Williams (an Oklahoma transfer) and RB Travis Dye (Oregon transfer). To take the comparison one step further, both also need their stud receivers to be productive – and both are transfers. For Utah, it’s TE Dalton Kincaid (a transfer from FCS San Diego). For the Trojans, it’s WR Jordan Addison (a Pitt transfer). The matchup between Addison and star Utah CB Clark Phillips III will be must-see TV.
+ The leading receivers in Nebraska-Purdue: Two of the most successful players out of the transfer portal in this past cycle are Nebraska WR Trey Palmer (40 receptions, 544 yards, three TDs) and Purdue WR Charlie Jones (50 receptions, 603 yards, seven TDs). They’re the two leading receivers in the Big Ten. What’s notable: Palmer is one shy of the receptions total he had in three seasons at LSU, while Jones has more than doubled the 21 receptions he had in two seasons at Iowa.