If we have, I don't remember it, and it sounds completely uncanny. But it's a serious question. Have we ever had such a poor running game in the modern era?
Question: "Alabama can't run the ball" - Have we ever had that issue before?
- Thread starter BigAlinKnoxville
- Start date
Watching Seattle play San Francisco tonight, I can see why Seattle fired Ryan Grubb after one season.
Certainly not in the Saban era. This season we averaged only 3.1 yards per rush attempt which ranked us 127th out of 136 teams in Yards per Rush attempt. During Saban's 6 national championship seasons at Alabama we were never lower than 47th in that same stat and in 4 of the championship seasons we were ranked in the top 10 in yards per rush attempt.
Here is the answer:
- Volume (YPG): To find a team that gained fewer yards per game than 2025, you only have to go back to 2006 at 123 yards a game
- Efficiency (YPC): To find a team that averaged fewer yards per carry than 2025's 3.4, you likely have to go back to the J.B. Whitworth era (1955-1957), specifically the winless 1955 team. Even the disastrous 3-8 team in 2000 averaged roughly 3.6 yards per carry.
IMO we have “square peg” lineman trying to play in a “round hole” system. And we have a line coach that worries about versatility of his linemen (ie: being able to rotate into multiple line positions) instead of focusing on improving fundamentals across the board. His profile states the key is communication and that includes getting them to play together as a unit. Time are time we saw blown assignments, whiffed blocks, and literally no communication.
Additionally look at the RB’s we’ve signed the last four years. The only real “explosive” back we had was probably Justice Haynes and he transferred to Michigan. All the guys we’ve gotten are power “straight line” backs. And this system Grubb/CKD depends on backs hitting the holes quick, mostly between the tackles or off tackle. Hard for a plodding type back to do that with lineman whiffing every other play.
Who was the last truly explosive back in our program? The guy that could hit the whole and in the blink of an eye be past the LB’s and into the secondary? Probably Jahmyr Gibbs back in 2022.
IMO our dismal running is equally to blame on Oline and RB performance.
Our team the past two years reminds of Luke Fickel at Wisconsin. Fickel brings in OC Phil Longo, a throw it all over the field OC. Yet the players in the program on offense were “ground and pound players”. So they looked completely dysfunctional. To make matters worse, Fickel spends two years recruiting to “Longo’s system”. Then the Longo experience fails miserably, they fire him and bring Jeff Grimes, a more “run first type” OC. And Wisconsin was terrible this year because they simply couldn’t decide what they wanted to be offensively nor figure out how to get the best out of what they had.
Sorry but “systems be damned”. The truest measure of your value as coach is evaluating the talent you have and what gives them (the team) the greatest chance for success. You can run your “system”‘when your players compliment that “system”. But we decided that we would just “pound square peg” players into a “round hole” offense and hoped it all worked out.
Additionally look at the RB’s we’ve signed the last four years. The only real “explosive” back we had was probably Justice Haynes and he transferred to Michigan. All the guys we’ve gotten are power “straight line” backs. And this system Grubb/CKD depends on backs hitting the holes quick, mostly between the tackles or off tackle. Hard for a plodding type back to do that with lineman whiffing every other play.
Who was the last truly explosive back in our program? The guy that could hit the whole and in the blink of an eye be past the LB’s and into the secondary? Probably Jahmyr Gibbs back in 2022.
IMO our dismal running is equally to blame on Oline and RB performance.
Our team the past two years reminds of Luke Fickel at Wisconsin. Fickel brings in OC Phil Longo, a throw it all over the field OC. Yet the players in the program on offense were “ground and pound players”. So they looked completely dysfunctional. To make matters worse, Fickel spends two years recruiting to “Longo’s system”. Then the Longo experience fails miserably, they fire him and bring Jeff Grimes, a more “run first type” OC. And Wisconsin was terrible this year because they simply couldn’t decide what they wanted to be offensively nor figure out how to get the best out of what they had.
Sorry but “systems be damned”. The truest measure of your value as coach is evaluating the talent you have and what gives them (the team) the greatest chance for success. You can run your “system”‘when your players compliment that “system”. But we decided that we would just “pound square peg” players into a “round hole” offense and hoped it all worked out.
I was going by what is listed at the TeamRankings.com website. It does show we averaged 123 yards per game in 2006 but shows we only averaged 92.6 yards per game in 2025. I'm not sure where you're looking to see 3.4 YPC but again at Team Rankings.com it shows 3.1. It's OK though as 3.4 vs. 3.1 is not a big difference. Really bad in either case.
Been watching Alabama football since ‘58. I honestly can’t recall a season like this one as far as an inability to run the football is concerned.
There are Tidefans members on here older than me, I’m a young 71, that may answer differently. I have followed the Tide all my life. I can honestly say No. Our rushing offense is in total disarray, nearly nonexistent. No rhyme, reason or plan. It’s like it’s a second thought in the game plan. Need a yard, man up and get it and move the chains. Presently, we would rather run a trick play that loses yards. Very frustrating.
Alabama has more talent than they did in 2006 but the offensive line coaching has been really ineffective. On top of that we live in a different world now. Back then you had a greater number of "easy" games. Games where you could not be at your best and still win and rack up good statistics. Today, there just isn't much for easy wins. You have maybe two cupcakes brought in every season to allow your freshman to get some live reps but every other team you play now has enough talent to beat you, no necessarily more talent, but enough to beat you if they play well and you don't. You normally win but most of the time the game is uncomfortably close and your stats aren't that good.
OL is not the only issue. Indiana threw 2 running backs at us. guys nobody thinks has pro potential, not really that fast, but guys who wanted to stone cold knock the first guy got in their way out, Nasty people really, Like guys from the leather helmet days. they beat us like a rented mule with them, forget tackling, they brought the pain to us, we didn't tackle them as much as we got tangled in their feet as they ran over us. We need top talent at RB but we ALSO need that guy, I really have stopped caring how our recruits rate out on the "NFL potential" scale. That's a league I care nothing about. I want guys who want to hurt people., hurt their feelings, hurt their pride, make their girlfriends leave them. nasty people.
OL is not the only issue. Indiana threw 2 running backs at us. guys nobody thinks has pro potential, not really that fast, but guys who wanted to stone cold knock the first guy got in their way out, Nasty people really, Like guys from the leather helmet days. they beat us like a rented mule with them, forget tackling, they brought the pain to us, we didn't tackle them as much as we got tangled in their feet as they ran over us. We need top talent at RB but we ALSO need that guy, I really have stopped caring how our recruits rate out on the "NFL potential" scale. That's a league I care nothing about. I want guys who want to hurt people., hurt their feelings, hurt their pride, make their girlfriends leave them. nasty people.
Honestly I asked AI and that was the response. Either way, it wasn't good (the answer from AI and the fact that we couldn't run the ball wither year ...lol)
How much better did Alabama get in 2025? It’s a fine line
Alabama declined statistically in several metrics from 2024 to 2025.
247sports.com
Looks like you were right. From the article:
"Alabama's running backs averaged 4.0 yards per carry, which was 127th in the country, after averaging 4.8 yards per carry in 2024. Overall, the Tide's 3.4 yards per rush in 2025 were the worst since 1998 and third-worst since 1969."
Milroe probably helped that stat in 2024. We honestly missed the speed at QB this year.
Rarely do I take opinion columns by sports writers seriously. However Michael Casagrande of AL.com hit the nail on the head today. And it is what most of us have known from the jump.
Alabama football is “soft”. And it won’t get better until someone decides to address that
Alabama football is “soft”. And it won’t get better until someone decides to address that
I don't know if it's the worst, but I will say the running game has nowhere to go but up, and I hope this staff is willing and humble enough to fix it.
Yep. Listen again how Cignetti answers the question at the 1:35 mark of this video. Listen how he says about the things "we used to preach when I was at Alabama" which sort of implies he doesn't think those things are being preached now.
Actually, Shula's last year Alabama ran for an average of 3.5 yards per carry.
So there's your comparison...
So there's your comparison...
Because running a normal play most teams run to get the yard or even just a foot running a trick play admits that you have no confidence of getting it. I've said several times this year I rather us being in a 3rd and 7 than 3rd and a foot.
Too add to what others have already said...
Alabama rushed 456 times for 1562 yards and 21 TDs. For perspective, Trent Richardson rushed for 1,583 and 20 TDs.
To make matters worse, if you remove the Eastern Illinois and LA Monroe games from the stats, Alabama ends end with:
371 carries for 1081 yards and 10 TDs. On the year. 2.91 YPC.
So bad. So so bad.
The lack of a running game makes CKD decision to go for it on our 34 yard line in the first quarter an even worse decision when you think your best way to get the first down is to run on outside with a WR.
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