Alabama Run Game Blasts Arkansas in Relief of Bryce Young

Jahmyr Gibbs led a dominant Alabama rushing attack that helped put Arkansas away late.

Blake Byler | Oct 1, 2022

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Alabama Crimson Tide

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — When the Heisman Trophy winner goes down, you need someone to step up.

Following Bryce Young's exit due to a shoulder injury, Alabama had its 28-0 lead quickly cut down to 28-23 as the fourth quarter began. Backup quarterback Jalen Milroe had just over 60 yards passing and Alabama's run game had 75 yards on 30 attempts.

Once the fourth quarter began, Alabama's rushing attack exploded, and with it, the lead.

The Crimson Tide had 12 carries in the fourth quarter that went for an astounding 247 yards, including three different attempts that went for over 70 yards.

"The fourth quarter came, hold up them 'fours' like we do every day," Alabama running back Jahmyr Gibbs said. "We just kept it calm and played football."

Alabama's 317 rushing yards as a team were not only a season-high, but were the most rushing yards in a game for a Crimson Tide team since Alabama recorded 318 rushing yards in September of 2019 against New Mexico State.

Gibbs led the way for Alabama in the rushing department, carrying the ball 18 times, a high for him in an Alabama uniform and just two short of his career-high of 20. Gibbs' previous high for carries at Alabama was nine, and he surpassed that in the second quarter.

"He does a great job of pressing the hole," Alabama head coach Nick Saban said. "He gets the defense to commit, gets the linebacker to commit, makes a quick cut and hits the hole. He's really good at that."

The Georgia Tech transfer averaged 11.4 yards per carry on his 18 attempts, setting a career-high of 206 yards in the game. He also scored two touchdowns, both of which came in the fourth quarter and were for more than 70 yards apiece.

"The line has been doing a great job all week with their calls and blocking," Gibbs said. "When we ran outside zone against a five-man box it's almost a guaranteed touchdown. We have more people to block than they have in the box."

Last season at Georgia Tech, Gibbs led the country in all-purpose yards. Since coming to Tuscaloosa he has bee an incredibly versatile running back, showing his explosiveness as a runner and even leading Alabama in receiving yards in its win over Texas earlier in September.

"I didn't know what my role [coming in] was going to be," Gibbs said. "I'm just trying to be in the best position for my team to win and to get to a national championship and win it."

Milroe was a huge factor in the rushing game as well, racking up 91 yards and a touchdown on six attempts. Milroe took his first rushing attempt for a score immediately after replacing Young, and routinely extended plays with his legs when the pocket broke down.

The biggest play of the game for Milroe and possibly the entire team was a 77-yard scramble on 3rd-and-15 that set up the touchdown to put Alabama ahead by two possessions in the fourth quarter.

"It stopped the bleeding for sure," Saban said. "It's a 3rd-and-long in bad field position. If we don't make a first down there they get the ball back down by five with all the momentum in the game. That was a huge momentum swing in the game in my opinion. After that we played better."

Milroe credited the offensive line for their help on the scramble.

"The biggest thing was looking at the chains, seeing what the best thing is that I can do for the team," Milroe said. "I was able to use my legs on that play, but the offensive line made a hole to make it possible for me."

Running back Jase McClellan added a touchdown of his own, but he missed much of the middle portion of the game after suffering an injury to his upper body before returning. Young also added a touchdown of his own on the ground before his injury, bringing Alabama's total to five rushing touchdowns on the game.

The offensive line additionally suffered some pregame turmoil, with starting center Darrian Dalcourt having to miss the game with back spasms. Seth McLaughlin filled in for Dalcourt and the transition was seamless.

"We think Darrian is a really good player, but we have a lot of confidence in Seth," Saban said. "He had to play down the stretch last year in some big games. He got three or four starts, in the playoff, in the SEC championship game."

It remains unclear whether Alabama will have Young or Milroe under center next week when Texas A&M and Jimbo Fisher come to town, but regardless Alabama has awakened a strong running back that either quarterback can rely on.

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