Nick Saban reveals simple fix for Alabama football run game before Oklahoma game

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The Alabama football run game is as bad as it has ever been. The Crimson Tide is 119th nationally in rushing offense, averaging 111.89 yards per game and 3.5 yards per rush.

Through nine games, Alabama has the fewest rushing yards of any Crimson Tide team in at least the last 30 years, if not in its history. It’s the first run game to average less than 4 yards per carry since 2006.

And former Alabama football coach Nick Saban sees a quick fix to all of the Crimson Tide’s run game woes as Oklahoma awaits.

“Throw the ball when they think you are going to run it, and just keep making explosive plays that way,” Saban said on “The Pat McAfee Show.” “And if you want to run it better, run it when they think you are going to throw it, and maybe you will do a better job and develop some confidence in your ability to run the ball.”

Saban said it’s “hard” to win a national championship with a one-dimensional offense, but that if a team has a “good enough” quarterback and receiving corps, it can be done.

But Saban is still adamant that the Alabama run game will play a role. And it starts up front.

“The offensive line is going to have to continue to improve because they have pretty decent backs, but they just have not been able to sustain and finish in the run game at all, which puts them behind the sticks a lot,” Saban said. “But they make more explosive plays on run downs.”

Alabama kicks off against Oklahoma at 2:30 p.m. CT Saturday, Nov. 15 on ABC.

Colin Gay covers Alabama football for The Tuscaloosa News, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at cgay@gannett.com or follow him @_ColinGay on X, formerly known as Twitter. 

This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Nick Saban reveals simple fix for Alabama football run game

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