Saban: Bo Scarbrough will 'be a factor before the season is over'
After recording just 108 yards through the first five games of the season, Alabama sophomore running back Bo Scarbrough rushed for a season-high 57 yards in the team’s 49-30 win against Arkansas last weekend, including a 21-yard touchdown scamper in the second quarter.
At 6-foot-2, 230 pounds, Scarbrough looked like a force carrying the ball for the Crimson Tide, averaging 8 yards per carry on just seven attempts. Coach Nick Saban told AL.com that he expects his power back to have more success down the road as the season progresses and SEC play gets tight.
“He’s doing a good job,” said Saban. “He made a nice run in the last game for a touchdown, and I think he’s getting more and more confident, and I think he’s going to be a factor for us before the season is over.”
Scarbrough, a former 5-star prospect, has been the No. 3 option in a loaded backfield that’s featured sophomore Damien Harris and freshman Joshua Jacobs. Both have received the bulk of the carries, combining for 785 yards and four touchdowns in 2016. But it’s Scarbrough that ranks 2nd on the team behind quarterback Jalen Hurts with four scores of his own, finding the end zone every 9.5 attempts.
“We think Bo’s got a lot of potential, and we’re going to keep working with him so he can be a very productive player for us,” said Saban. “So, I don’t think he has any issues. I think he has issues created to the expectation that you created for him. But that’s not what we’re all about here.”