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UA backs bowl through defenses

University of Alabama running back Damien Harris stood behind the swarm of media members, but the 5-foot-11, 214-pounder still snuck in his own question.

“How hard is it to bring down the running backs in practice?” Harris asked teammate Shaun Dion Hamilton.

The linebacker cracked a smile. He knew exactly whose voice that was, and the moment he looked up to confirm his suspicions, the wheels started turning on how to answer.

“Well, it definitely helps when you practice against all these great running backs,” Hamilton said. “Then on Saturday when you play another opponent it’s a lot easier because you know who has the best backs in the country.”

As a team, the Crimson Tide is No. 1 in the SEC in rushing offense. Nationally, Alabama ranks 10th at 265.7 yards per game. Army, an option team, leads the way with an average of 366.8 yards.

Harris, a sophomore, individually leads Alabama with 572 rushing yards, but he falls in at fifth and 39th in the conference and nation, respectively.

“We want people to know we’re a dominant team, we’re a physical team and we want to be able to win the line of scrimmage,” Harris said.

Last Saturday’s game against Tennessee only helped Alabama’s numbers. The Crimson Tide wracked up 438 rushing yards, the most since tallying 541 yards 30 years ago, also against Tennessee.

Center Bradley Bozeman didn’t know the offense accumulated such a total until defensive lineman Jonathan Allen told him on the bus well after the game ended.

“I thought, holy crap. That’s a lot of yards,” Bozeman said. “But you have to keep pressing. You can’t let it go to your head.”

The Crimson Tide had two 100-yard rushers: Quarterback Jalen Hurts led with 132 yards on 12 carries and running back Bo Scarbrough added 109 yards on just five carries.

Harris was six yards short from joining the group. He said he didn’t campaign for any extra carries. He just listened to his orders.

A big chunk of Scarbrough’s total came from an 85-yard score. It not only marked the longest run Alabama has produced this season, but for Scarbrough to outrun the entire Tennessee defense was also a feat. His teammates were impressed by the 6-foot-2, 228-pound beast’s agility.

“I’d have to have a lot of blocking,” Bozeman said.

That’s what it has come down to: Alabama’s running backs – and even quarterback – are practically bowling balls, but they still need paths to roll through when confronted by a defensive line.

Texas A&M, the team Alabama hosts on Saturday, has allowed its opponents 956 rushing yards this season for an average of 159.3 yards per game.

“It’s going to be a tough task for us,” tight end O.J. Howard said, “but when it comes down to it, (it’ll be) who gets their hands inside (to block) and who wants it more.”

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