ANALYSIS: Second-half dominance led by running the ball
The big question surrounding how productive Alabama’s would be going into the Iron Bowl centered around how well it could handle Auburn’s front four. Defensive linemen Montravius Adams and Marlon Davidson are a handful inside and outside linebacker Carl Lawson is a pass-rush specialist.
So how did the Crimson Tide hang 501 yards of total offense on a defense, led by its stout front four, that came into the game ranked third in the SEC in yards per play allowed? Simple.
Alabama ran the ball, especially in the second half, behind an improving offensive line.
Twenty-six of the offense’s total rushes and 66 percent of its rushing yardage came in the final two quarters after the coaching staff sort of simplified the game plan at halftime. In the second half, the offense became determined to run the ball. It worked, and it put the shaky Jalen Hurts from the first half at ease (he threw two interceptions in the first half and put the ball on the ground a couple of more times). Hurts threw the ball only 10 times in the second half.
Meanwhile the running game and the offensive line went to work averaging 5.2 yards per carry, up from 3.8 in the first half.
What changed between the first 30 minutes and the last 30?
“To be honest we ran the ball,” center Bradley Bozeman said.
The team was out of sorts in the first half, throwing it nearly 60 percent of the time. When the focus shifted to the ground game in the second half, the results followed and the game went from a one-score margin to out of reach.
“We didn’t run the ball great in the first half,” UA coach Nick Saban said. “I think that was part of the issue. It put a lot on the quarterback. He was struggling a little bit, turned the ball over a couple of times. We didn’t execute the way we needed to.
“At halftime I guess everyone thought I was going to throw a fit, but I just really told the guys, ‘Look guys, all we’ve got to do is go out there and play with some poise and confidence. Trust and believe in how we do things, what we do and everybody’s got to go do their job. Because we’ve got too many guys making mistakes, not blocking the right guys. We’ve got to control the line of scrimmage in the second half and control the game.’
“And I think our offensive line did a good good of doing that in the second half.”
At times offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin used the Auburn defensive front’s aggressiveness against it, scattering in quarterback draws, screen passes and then there was a shovel pass from Jalen Hurts to O.J. Howard.
Auburn still created negative plays, recording nine tackles for loss (no sacks).
Hurts, whose downfield-passing ability had been questioned following the Chattanooga game, had arguably his best sequence on the third drive of the game. He connected with ArDarius Stewart for a 39-yard gain when Auburn brought five rushers and the UA offensive line held up well on a pass that took a long time to develop. One play later he sat in the pocket behind excellent protection, went through his reads and checked down to Damien Harris for a 17-yard touchdown.
Reach Aaron Suttles at aaron@tidesports.com or at 205-722-0229.