Jam Miller's return gives Alabama's running game the spark it's been missing

Coming into Saturday's matchup with Vanderbilt, Alabama's run game was in desperate need of a spark. The Crimson Tide came in ranked 96th in the country at just 122.5 yards per game. They had yet to eclipse 100 yards rushing against a Power Four opponent, and most people didn't expect that to change against a Vanderbilt front seven that had been among the nation's best against the run in 2025.

But Jam Miller, in his second game back from injury, finally provided the spark on the ground that Alabama's running game has been missing.

Miller produced his second career 100+ yard rushing day, turning 22 carries into 136 yards, and a game-sealing touchdown run late in the fourth quarter. Alabama's offensive line was finally able to get some push, and Miller hit the holes aggressively to make plays.

Miller is the first Alabama running back to produce a 100-yard day since Week 2 of last season, when he did it against South Florida.

Jam Miller gives Alabama's offese a whole new dynamic

Credit to redshirt freshman Kevin Riley for holding down the fort and coming out of nowhere to become a contributor, but it's as obvious now as it was to the coaches in the preseason that Miller is the best running back on this roster.

If you take out four sacks of Ty Simpson, Alabama racked up 171 rushing yards on a 5.1 yards per carry average. Alabama showed, against a good opponent, that it could run the football when it needed to. That's going to serve to make this offense even more dangerous with Ty Simpson continuing to click on all cylinders.

It was clear early in the game that running the football was going to be a point of emphasis.

"Coach Grubb, he actually challenged us in the game," Miller told reporters after the game. "Challenge accepted. We just went out there and did what we do best."

Kalen DeBoer said after last week's win over Georgia that he felt like the team was getting close in the run game. They obviously took a step forward this week, but there's another gear they can still hit that DeBoer is keenly aware of.

“I still feel like between the line and the tailbacks, there’s still a few more opportunities that we can improve on,” DeBoer said after the game. "We need to keep taking the next step in the run game. I thought it was something we worked on a lot. We knew we were getting closer last week, and I feel like we took another step this week.”