For Jahmyr Gibbs, the Running Game is Both Mental and Physical

While there's no doubt about his physical abilities, it's Gibbs' IQ that adds more to his ground game.

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Jahmyr Gibbs' athleticism is unquestioned. His ability to quickly adjust his running lane and accelerate through the blocking makes him a dangerous runner, both as a kick returner and as the Crimson Tide's starting running back.

However, Gibbs' success as a runner isn't solely due to his speed and agility. Nick Saban shared during Monday's press conference that in addition to his burst, his maturity as a runner is equally impressive.

“I think that’s the sign of a really good running back is you help the offensive line by how you stretch the play, press the hole, whatever it is so that you lead them to their blocks," Saban said. "Then when people overplay the blocks or get hooked, you stick your foot in the ground and hit it. And that’s what he did on both of his runs.

"That’s part of being a good back. It’s not just take the ball and run it. You have to understand how are we blocking this play? How do I set these blockers up so that they have the best chance to succeed at their blocks?"

For Gibbs, he said his maturity as a runner simply comes from "Just watching film and having a lot of experience doing it."

That said, it wasn't lost on his teammates, including Will Anderson, who speak highly of Gibbs' IQ.

"He's very smart," Anderson said. "The way he can be patient and wait for holes to be created. His initial burst, that’s something we watch on the jumbotron all the time."

It's that patience that allowed Gibbs to allow the hole on his 72-yard touchdown run on the right side to open up, then it was his ability to quickly change gears and reach top speed during his second touchdown run. And he's finding his rhythm at the right time as the Crimson Tide are in the toughest part of the schedule, which continues with Texas A&M.