The message coming out of Alabama is that the Crimson Tide is confident in its running backs behind starter Brian Robinson Jr. The distribution of carries over the past two weeks says something different.
Excluding rushing stats from quarterback Bryce Young, Robinson has received 60 of Alabama’s 72 carries (83.3 percent) over the past two games. That's up dramatically from the 32.3 percent of the workload he averaged over the first two weeks of the season.
To be fair, the fifth-year senior is doing the most with his extended workload. Robinson had a career-high 36 carries for 171 yards and four touchdowns against Ole Miss before recording 147 yards on 24 carries during last week’s loss at Texas A&M.
“I think that B-Rob's played really really well,” Alabama head coach Nick Saban said Monday. “The last two weeks, really well. He’s been an outstanding performer for us.”
Following Robinson’s career-high performance against Ole Miss, Saban explained that the starter was handed such a large workload partially because he was “running hot” and also due to the fact that backup Jase McClellan suffered a season-ending knee injury. It could be argued that Robinson again had the hot hand against Texas A&M over the weekend. However, backup Roydell Williams was also having a decent start to the game, scoring Alabama’s first touchdown on a 20-yard reception from Young in the first quarter.
According to Pro Football Focus, Williams took part in just eight snaps against the Aggies, finishing the night with two carries for 3 yards and a pair of receptions for 28 yards. Meanwhile, fellow backup Trey Sanders didn’t see the field at all and hasn’t recorded a carry the past two weeks.
Following McClellan’s season-ending injury, Saban said both Williams and Sanders would get more opportunities in the backfield moving forward. Monday, the head coach maintained that stance, even though it hasn’t been reflected by Alabama’s recent distribution.
“We have confidence in the other guys, and we want to play the other guys,” Saban said. “So, and we're going to continue to try to use B-Rob and help him be as effective as possible — and he's been extremely effective in the last two games — but also utilize the talents of the other players, maybe more and more as we go on.”
Robinson, who finally finds himself in the spotlight after playing behind Najee Harris the past two years, is relishing his current status as the Tide’s bell-cow back. However, the new role is admittedly a bit taxing. Before taking on an upward of 20 carries in each of the past two weeks, Robinson’s previous high at Alabama was 13 attempts.
“I feel like I’ve been in a physical fight,” Robinson said Monday. “I don’t feel like anyone in this league would be feeling great around this time. But I can say I feel good. I feel good enough to prepare myself for another week.”
If Alabama is going to spell Robinson more moving forward, the Tide’s most likely option appears to be Williams. Through six games, the sophomore is averaging a team-high 6.04 yards per carry with 157 yards and a touchdown on the ground to go with two receptions for 28 yards and a score through the air.
Williams had his best showing against Southern Miss when Robinson sat out due to a rib injury. During that game, the Hueytown, Ala., native rushed for a game-high 110 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries, including a 55-yard run.
“I have a lot of confidence in Roydell,” Robinson said. “We sit in the same meeting room and we prepare very hard every week. We go out to the practice field and we prepare hard. We make sure that we are very detailed in everything that we do so just watching him and just helping him along the way helps me build more and more confidence in him.
“Throughout the weeks of practices, just seeing how hard he competes and in the meeting room how much he’s learning and how much he understands of the game and plan and what we’re trying to accomplish so it just helps me build more confidence in Roydell.”
Sanders is still a viable option as well, despite his near non-existent workload the past two weeks. Since recording eight carries for 41 yards and a touchdown during the season opener against Miami, the five-star back has seen his opportunities dwindle.
Sanders had seven carries for 30 yards against Mercer but did not touch the ball the following week against Florida. He then tallied just 12 yards on five attempts against Southern Miss. The past two weeks, he’s seen the field for just three snaps, two of which have come on special teams.
Cameras caught Sanders looking disappointed while watching the game against his home-state Florida from the sidelines in Week 3. When asked about the back’s lack of involvement following that game, Saban provided an irritated response.
“It’s not like I sit there and say everybody’s going to play this many plays," the head coach shot back. "And when it comes to running backs whoever’s playing well and has a hot hand, that’s who we’re going to play. That’s how it’s always been around here. We’ve had some really good backs in the past that didn’t play in games that were third guys because the other two guys were rolling and playing good. There was no plan to play him or not to play him, it’s just the way the game worked out.”
Alabama’s backfield will need all the help it can get this week as it goes up against a Mississippi State team that ranks No. 8 in the nation, allowing just 89.4 yards per game on the ground. The Tide currently ranks No. 69 in the nation, averaging 161.67 rushing yards per game.
No. 5 Alabama (5-1, 2-1 in the SEC) will travel to Mississippi State (3-2, 1-1) for a 6 p.m. CT kickoff on Saturday. The game will be televised on ESPN.
