Alabama’s first half against Kentucky looked like a familiar problem for a team trying to prove it has moved past last season’s run-game frustration. The Crimson Tide managed only five rushing yards before halftime, and the offense spent too much time digging itself out of bad situations. But when the mistakes stopped piling up, the ground game finally showed what Kalen DeBoer believed had been there all along.
“The ability to run the ball was there,” DeBoer told reporters after his team finished coming back from a 17-13 halftime deficit to win 45-13. “A couple outside runs that we took some negative plays on, and then Keelon (Russell) had the sacks. We had the penalties, and so we were behind the chains a lot , which really kept us from being able to find the groove.”
Alabama’s second-half response was a lot cleaner, and the numbers followed. The Tide finished with 155 rushing yards, with most of that damage coming from Daniel Hill, who carried 18 times for 104 yards and a touchdown.
Hill said the fix was never about reinventing the offense. It was about stopping the self-inflicted problems that got in the way early.
“The run game was always there,” Hill said. “We didn’t run the ball bad in the first half, it’s just we had penalties, operational things that kind of threw us off of our game plan.
But, you know, came out second half, executed and we did pretty good. Came out with the win.”
That confidence carried into the locker room at halftime because the issues were the kind Alabama could control.
“It was operational things for us,” Hill said. “Turnovers, getting lined up, things like that.
And that’s something we work on every day at practice. So we knee that we’re going to be able to come back from that.
That’s not us. That’s not our character, that’s not what we do.
And we’re gonna clean that up this week in practice and get it rolling.”
The contrast with last season was hard to miss. Alabama’s rushing attack was a major issue then, and the Tide never really found a reliable answer. That showed up in the SEC championship game against Georgia and again in the Rose Bowl against Indiana, both losses in which the offense never got on track.
This version has already looked sturdier, even with the rocky opening against Kentucky. Hill said the running backs took that responsibility personally during the offseason, especially with the way the run game can open everything else up.
“That’s something that, as a running back room, we had to get right,” Hill said. “We gotta be able to run the ball, and especially going against SEC team, you gotta be able to run the ball to help Keelon open the pass game like that.
So that’s something that we took very personal this offseason, and we got to continue to get better. There’s always things we can work on, and that’s what we’re gonna continue to do.”
Alabama is back next Saturday, when Florida State comes to Bryant-Denny Stadium after beating the Crimson Tide in Tallahassee last season.
In Other News...
Florida State's Latest Shakeup Comes Right Before Alabama
Florida State made a notable administrative change just as Alabama is preparing to see the Seminoles on the schedule, announcing that Michael Alford is out after four years as athletics director. Bruce Warwick will step in on an interim basis while the school searches for a permanent replacement, adding another layer of uncertainty around a program already under pressure.
The move comes with concerns growing around Florida State footballs recent results under Mike Norvell, and the timing only sharpens the focus on what the Seminoles look like heading into a high-profile matchup with Alabama. For a game that already carried plenty of attention, the off-field shakeup gives it an even more unsettled backdrop. [Read more 🡒]
Alabamas Top 10 Return Puts One Big FSU Question On Offense
Alabamas climb back into the AP top 10 came with the kind of finishing kick the program wanted to show after the opener. The Tide pulled away from Kentucky 45-17, and the second half offered a cleaner look at what is starting to take shape on both sides of the ball. Jackson Lloyd has settled in well at left tackle, not allowing a pressure through two games, while inside linebackers Luke Metz and Caleb Woodson have been active pieces in a defense that is settling into its identity.
The next test is less about ranking movement and more about the kind of roadblock Alabama needs to clear against Florida State. Keelon Russell has already said his own play has to improve, and that kind of self-assessment matters with a matchup like this looming. Alabama is also carrying the memory of a previous loss to the Seminoles, which adds a little extra edge to a game that already feels like an early measuring stick for where this offense really is. [Read more 🡒]
Keelon Russells Early Alabama Issue Is Harder To Ignore Now
Keelon Russells first major bump in an Alabama uniform came with a little extra visibility Saturday, when the quarterback was flagged multiple times for intentional grounding in the win over Kentucky. It was the kind of outing that can happen to a young passer still settling into the speed and pressure of SEC football, but it also put a spotlight on the parts of his game Alabama will need cleaned up quickly as the schedule keeps moving.
Kalen DeBoer pointed to execution and decision-making when addressing the penalties, a reminder that the Tide are still looking for more comfort and control from Russell in those moments when a play breaks down. Russell, for his part, said he got off to a slow start and said he is committed to improving in the games ahead, which is the right response even if the bigger question now is how fast that progress shows up. [Read more 🡒]