Kirby Smart Applauds 'Extremely Physical' Alabama Run Game

The Crimson Tide finished with -3 rushing yards in the SEC Championship against Georgia, but Alabama now has an "unwavering" commitment to revolutionize the run game.

Sep 12, 2026; Athens, Georgia, USA; Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart on the sideline during the game against the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers at Sanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Alabama has had the upper hand over Georgia for quite some time, but the last meeting between these SEC programs couldn't have gone worse for the Crimson Tide.

Alabama had one of its worst performances of the 2025-26 season in a 28-7 loss to the Bulldogs in the SEC Championship Game. The Tide finished with -3 rushing yards and was without multiple key players.

The run game was indisputably Alabama's biggest kryptonite last year, as its per-game numbers were not only at the bottom of the SEC but among the worst in the FBS as well. It resulted in offensive line coach Chris Kapilovic being fired and USC defensive analyst Adrian Klemm filling the role.

Fast forward to this season, and Alabama is hovering around the top 25 percent of the FBS in rushing yards per game (37th overall) with 186.4. The No. 6 Crimson Tide is set to face No. 2 Georgia once again on Saturday night at home. Georgia head coach Kirby Smart is well aware of the run game improvements.

"They're physical. Extremely physical," Smart said during Wednesday's SEC Teleconference. "They have a commitment to the run, a commitment that is unwavering. They have really physical tight ends, a really physical offensive line and they have big backs — and lots of them. They've got really four functioning backs that are playing at a high level and they're doing a great job."

In addition to the running back room, Alabama is led by a different quarterback in Keelon Russell. Ty Simpson was the man under center during last year's matchup and struggled due to a variety of reasons, including the eventual first-round pick suffering from gastritis and taking an absurd amount of hits that day.

As previously stated, Alabama had numerous players out or limited during the SEC Championship due to injuries, including running back Jam Miller, tight end Josh Cuevas, offensive lineman Kam Dewberry and edge rusher LT Overton.

"They're healthier," Smart said when asked what's the biggest difference between Alabama today and the SEC Championship. "They're a different team right now, in terms of the two quarterbacks being different. They're both uber talented, but they're very different quarterbacks. Different physical makeup of the team. They're bigger defensively."

Kickoff in Bryant-Denny Stadium between No. 6 Alabama (5-0, 3-0 SEC) and No. 2 Georgia (5-0, 3-0 SEC) is set for Saturday, Oct. 10, at 6:30 p.m. on ABC. However, this time slot isn't guaranteed, as a tropical storm is headed to Tuscaloosa this weekend.

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