Alabama’s attention wasn’t ahead. One could actually make the case the Crimson Tide were looking back at what was said during the week.
When the Tide tumbled from No. 4 to No. 10 in the latest College Football Playoff Top 25, selection committee chair Hunter Yurachek said the committee has been less than impressed with Alabama’s ability to run the football. The criticism wasn’t well-received within the fanbase, but it wasn’t exactly off-base. Alabama entered Week 13 averaging just under 109 rushing yards per game — the 14th-worst in the FBS.
So, it came as no surprise on Saturday when, in a 56-0 dusting of Eastern Illinois at home, the Tide made a concerted effort to pound the ball on the ground.
The first 3 snaps of the game for the Alabama offense were called runs. Five of the 8 plays on Alabama’s opening drive were runs, with the final going for a touchdown.
They ran 22 times for 121 yards in the first half. They ran 27 times for 148 yards in the second half. Every touchdown scored in the game came on the ground.
Five different Alabama players had at least 4 rushing attempts. Six different Alabama players found the endzone on the ground. More than a dozen players ran at least 1 time. Jam Miller led the way with 11 carries for 62 yards and a score.
It was a good, old-fashioned beatdown. Alabama outgained Eastern Illinois 539 to 34 in the game. It averaged 6.8 yards per play and held Eastern Illinois to 0.9 yards per play. The Tide had the ball for more than 38 minutes.
While the margins won’t impress the committee, the intended message from Alabama in a tune-up before the Iron Bowl was clear.
Despite the caliber of competition, the defense deserves some attention for its effort as well. Saturday’s shutout was the second of the season for Alabama. The Tide have 4 shutouts in 2 seasons now under Kalen DeBoer. Alabama had 3 total in the 5 seasons prior to DeBoer’s arrival.
Alabama 56, Eastern Illinois 0
Did Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson enhance his Heisman odds Saturday? Here’s the complete Bama-Eastern Illinois box score (use the dropdown menu to select team or player stats), followed by the complete play-by-play:
Derek Peterson does a bit of everything, not unlike Taysom Hill. He has covered Oklahoma, Nebraska, the Pac-12, and now delivers CFB-wide content.
