What do the Bulldogs see in Alabama's offense and can they stop them?

Published Sep. 30, 2015 6:21 p.m. ET

foxsports

Alabama's offense knows how to run the ball, that's no revelation, but did you know they have only one fewer passing touchdown compared to their rushing touchdowns this season?

"They've got 10 rushing touchdowns, nine passing touchdowns, so very balanced in their approach," Mark Richt said. "And they've got the personnel to get it done."

That they do, with a roster loaded at receiver and tight end, Alabama can make you pay from all over the field. Despite their plethora of weapons, it's no secret who the Tide's offense runs through.

How do the Bulldogs like their chances of stopping Derrick Henry?

"He's a big back, bigger than the usual back that you play," nose tackle Chris Mayes said, according to AL.com. "But still at the same time, if you hit him before he gets started, I feel like we have a good chance of getting of stopping him."

Georgia currently ranks fourth in the SEC in rush defense, giving up just over 107 yards on the ground per game.

"I like playing a bigger opponent anyway," Mayes said. "It's easier to get under their pads, but that's SEC football that's used to playing against a bigger opponent."

Mayes may want to be careful what he wishes for, tackling 6-foot-3, 242-pounds Henry sure doesn't look easy. Once the Tide's power back has you worn down, that's when they hit you over the top with the play-action pass.

"They're going to try to block it the same with pad level of your linemen and sometimes pull a lineman like you would ― usually when you pull a lineman, you're running the ball," Richt said. "But sometimes people pull linemen and still pass the ball. So you know, teams that run the ball well are going to make it look exactly like the run, or at least as close as they possibly can.

"And then people get out of position. Linebackers get up on that line of scrimmage and DBs at times make mistakes. But the linebackers can't help but get sucked up into the action. There are creases there. There's throwing lanes. So the better a team can run the football, the better the play action pass will be and the less chance you'll be in third and long, and that's what we're all trying to stay out of."

(h/t AL.com)