If the goal for No. 12 Alabama was to improve a run game that ranked among the worst nationally last season, its opener against East Carolina was a rousing success.
The Crimson Tide (1-0) racked up 227 rushing yards and five touchdowns in last weekend’s 48-10 win, more than they had in any game against an FBS opponent last season.
Alabama’s first road game and Southeastern Conference opener against Kentucky (1-0) in Lexington on Saturday will be a better test of how far the rushing attack has come.
“In the run game, there was consistency. You just want to keep raising a level,” Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer said. “I thought our backs ran hard down in the red zone there, with both Daniel (Hill) and our other backs finding ways to get in the end zone.”
Dual-threat quarterback Keelon Russell — who had a team-high 86 rushing yards — made matters easier for offense.
Hill added two rushing scores and five-star freshman EJ Crowell scored once in his debut, even as Alabama was introducing five new offensive line starters.
The Crimson Tide also got off to a hot start on defense, holding an overmatched East Carolina offense to 2 rushing yards and no third-down conversions in nine attempts.
A revamped Kentucky offense will test Alabama’s defense. After spending the last 13 seasons under defensive-minded coach Mark Stoops, the Wildcats hired offensive guru Will Stein, Oregon’s former offensive coordinator, to implement his scheme.
Stein, who at 36 is the youngest SEC head coach since Lane Kiffin was hired at Tennessee in 2008, helmed offenses which ranked in the top 25 in total offense each of his three seasons with the Ducks. He’s now tasked with turning around an offense which ranked 100th or worse in total offense each of the last four seasons.
“I think Will Stein is a fantastic football coach. He’s got great energy, from what it seems, to his team,” Alabama defensive coordinator Kane Wommack said. “They’re creative in the way they get the ball to their playmakers, and I think they do a really good job of a lot of formations and motions and shifts and things we would call ‘eye candy’ that they give people. … They present a number of challenges for us.”
The improvement was evident in Kentucky’s 45-13 season-opening win over FCS opponent Youngstown State. The Wildcats racked up 205 rushing yards, while Notre Dame transfer Kenny Minchey threw for 301 yards and four TDs in his first career start.
Kentucky is 2-39-1 all-time against Alabama and has lost the last eight matchups.
Perhaps in response to this, Stein threw down the gauntlet to the Kentucky fanbase as he seeks a signature win early in his tenure.
“We have to make this the loudest game in the history of Kentucky football. That’s my goal for our fans, the loudest it has ever been, and we need them to be at their best,” Stein said. “I want people’s voices hoarse when they leave here, alright? They’ve got to take off work on Monday because they can’t talk; that’s how loud I want this place to be.”
One thing that may work in the Wildcats’ favor this week? Alabama is just 6-5 in true road games through DeBoer’s first two seasons.
