Alabama football's running game comes to life in the homecoming shutout over Missouri

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The Alabama football offense doubled its scoring output from last weekend, from 17 on Oct. 19 to 34 on Saturday, en route to a 34-0 win over No. 21 Missouri. The No. 15 Crimson Tide needed the win after losing two of their last three games before their home game against the Tigers, and the offensive attack was accelerated by the running game.

More than 270 of the team's 486 total yards were accumulated rushing, as were all four touchdowns. Three of those came from the tandem of Justice Haynes and Jam Miller, who had much more impact on the contest on Saturday than they have in recent weeks. It was as good as the running attack has looked this season.

“The will is there,” said head coach Kalen DeBoer. “Just to see it pay off like that and then let the guys play… There are a few things we can build on as well, but it was really fun for everyone to see.”

The 271 rushing yards were the Crimson Tide's highest total in SEC play so far this season and second-highest total, behind only the season opener against Western Kentucky.

Haynes led Alabama rushers with 79 yards, including a 35-yard fourth-quarter scorer in which he ran through a defender looking for paydirt, prompting an emphatic response from an announced sellout crowd . It was a game that he and his coach were happy with after the game, as it was the result of a well-executed plan.

“Thundering is probably a good word to put it,” DeBoer said. “I can hear it. “Staying on his feet, keeping his legs moving, rebounding… Great effort.” The first-year coach said Hayne and Miller's “one-two punch” on Saturday was a step in the right direction.

Miller ran for 48 yards on 11 carries, which at first glance might not be an overwhelming number unless you add in the two touchdowns he scored. He ran hard, with a yardage of 14 and an average of 4.4 yards per carry. Haynes attributed the day's successes to execution and confidence in the offensive line. He also chose the latter when given the choice between making a defender miss or running over him.

“I think it (the game) can be a really good building block,” Haynes said. “The offensive line is just gaining confidence in the running game, as well as the whole unit, the running backs, we're gaining confidence from that. (We'll) just keep going out there and making the plays that are called.” Haynes particularly praised offensive coordinator Nick Sheridan as well as senior lineman Tyler Booker for what he described as Booker watching his teammates in practice and pushing them to improve . “He brings his best,” Haynes said. “It all starts with them up front, on offense, so kudos to them.”

Quarterback Jalen Milroe also had a touchdown on the ground, a nine-yard rush on the first drive of the second half. Miller had previously scored the game's first touchdown with less than two minutes left in the second quarter. Previously, Alabama's offense had scored just six points on two field goals from Graham Nicholson. Miller and Haynes each had a touchdown in the final 30 minutes of the game.

Alabama (6-2, 3-2 SEC) struggled badly on the offensive side of the ball in a loss to Tennessee seven days ago. Milroe had 215 yards passing but was without a touchdown through the air for the entire duration of the contest. Haynes expects the running game to continue to complement the passing game and vice versa. A steady diet of running plays ultimately helped hold the Crimson Tide back from its slow start, which could have been made worse by the fact that the team only had seven points in the first half last Saturday.

“I think it’s very important to have balance,” Haynes said. “The run feeds on the pass, the pass feeds on the run. I feel like we continue to do that on offense. Plus, there is room for improvement. But I think establishing the run is always a great thing, but we also have to have a balanced offense.

Missouri (6-2, 2-2 SEC) was without leading rusher Nate Noel due to injury issues that plagued the Tigers in this game. Quarterback Brady Cook, who was already dealing with an ankle injury the week before the conference showdown that put his playing status in considerable doubt, exited early after suffering an unrelated hand injury. The visitors still mustered 167 rushing yards, which was 69.9% of their total on the afternoon (239 yards). The Tigers have also lost two of four games as they both head to ranked opponents.

From a rush standpoint, Miller and Haynes weren't the only ones who contributed significantly to the stat sheet, and neither was Milroe. Redshirt freshman Richard Young broke off a 62-yard run from the shadow of his own goal line on the game's final drive, leading all individual runs (Haynes' touchdown was the second, followed by a 32-yard run by Milroe). .

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