There was a point Saturday afternoon when Alabama didn't need Keelon Russell to make another play.
Not because Russell hadn't done enough. He had done more than enough.
He had already given the Crimson Tide offense exactly what it needed from its young quarterback — making big plays, extending drives, and keeping Alabama within striking distance whenever Florida State pushed back.
But when Alabama needed to put the game away once and for all, it didn't have to ask Russell to play hero ball.
It had another answer: the running game.
Alabama's rushing attack is giving the Crimson Tide something it has been missing
The Tide rushed for 249 yards against FSU, but the number that tells the story is what happened after halftime: 220 of those yards came in the second half. 140 of them came in the fourth quarter.
Alabama didn't just find success on the ground. It leaned on Florida State — and kept leaning until the Seminoles broke.
That hasn't been something this program could consistently count on over the last few seasons, especially under Kalen DeBoer. Too often, when games reached their most decisive moment, Alabama needed its quarterback and passing game to create the answer.
Saturday, it found another way to finish.
It was physical. It was persistent. And it came off the legs of three different running backs.
Trae'shawn Brown led the way with 86 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries. Daniel Hill added 59 yards on 11 carries, while EJ Crowell ripped off 51 yards and a score on just seven attempts.
None needed 20 carries. Alabama simply kept coming at Florida State with fresh legs, and the production kept coming with it.
That's what makes this game more significant than one explosive rushing performance.
DeBoer and second-year offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb are building an offense with more than one way to win — and more importantly, more than one way to finish.
Russell can still be the engine. But now that Alabama has a ground game capable of taking the pressure off him, controlling the clock, and closing the door when the game gets heavy.
And if Saturday was any indication, the Tide may have found the kind of rushing attack that can change the temperature of an entire game — and, eventually, give Alabama the balance it needs to navigate the SEC and make a deeper run in the 2026-27 College Football Playoff.
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