Alabama's Run Game 'Needs to be Better' After Rough Performance in LSU Win

The Crimson Tide has struggled in this huge part of the game all season, as Kalen DeBoer and Josh Cuevas explain that it's now "On the top of everybody's list."

Nov 8, 2025; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide running back Jamarion Miller (26) is tackles by Louisiana State Tigers during the first quarter of the game at Saban Field at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Leong-Imagn Images | David Leong-Imagn Images

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — No. 4 Alabama football took down LSU 20-9 on Saturday night in Bryant-Denny Stadium, and while the offense didn't have its best performance, the run game really struggled.

This has been a very common theme for the Crimson Tide this season. It came into Saturday ranked 104th out of 136 FBS teams in rushing yards per game this season with 119.3, that's good for 13th in the SEC.

Alabama offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb said on Monday that "The guys have taken that mentality going into this game that we can run the ball and we can be effective doing it," but the results didn't show that as the Crimson Tide finished with 56 rushing yards and a touchdown on 26 attempts.

Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson had the Tide's longest run of the game with 17. Daniel Hill led the team in rushing yards with just 21. UA has just three games left in the regular season, and as it continues to win, stronger opponents will plan for Alabama being one-dimensional.

"We only had 56 yards, so it needs to be better," Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer said during the postgame press conference. "I think there's a lot of things. I think there's other things we could do to make a defense have to cover us.

"We missed opportunities that would help open up the box a little bit, but we certainly, either one of two things on each play is do a better job blocking and do a good job of being physical with the ball in our hands too and falling ahead for yards. Those extra one, two or three yards that you could get by running through arm tackles and things like that, those could hurt.

"We've got to do a better job of giving lanes for the running back to go and hit it and confidently and hit it hard. It's everything. It's effort across the board. When we run a perimeter, let's make sure that we get the blocks out there. But we've certainly have got to be better than we were."

Grubb's need for excitement on run plays is now nearing DEFCON 1. Alabama tight end Josh Cuevas acknowledged the run-game issues after the game, as it's becoming one of the Crimson Tide's main priorities.

"I think it's on the top of everybody's list," Cuevas said. "I know that everybody on the offensive side, we know that it's a deficiency of ours right now. In practice, we're really trying to work on it and taking it one play at a time. Everybody trying to do their job, working on double teams and little things like that. Everybody's really excited.

"I think we're all a little bit disappointed just the way we played, but it's something that we correct tomorrow and we kind of enjoy the win for today. I mean, SEC wins are always hard no matter if they are away or at home. They're a good team, it's just we've got to get better and do our job."