Cincy’s Ford to play key role vs. Alabama
When the Cincinnati Bearcats were trading scores with Houston in the AAC Championship Game, Jerome Ford provided an early spark with a 79-yard touchdown run and a late dagger with a 42-yard touchdown run.
Big plays are nothing new for Ford, who tied Michael Warren II for most rushing touchdowns in a season (19) in school history. He ranks ninth on the single-season list with 1,242 rushing yards. He's recorded five 100-plus yard rushing games this year, and he's scored three touchdowns longer than 74 yards.
Ford, who transferred from Alabama after the 2019 season, will be one of the game's key players when he faces his former school in the College Football Playoff semifinal on Dec. 31. The Bearcats, also aided by Desmond Ridder's ability to scramble, ran for more than 200 yards as a team in three of their last four games, and they've averaged 5.4 yards per carry this season.
“Jerome, he's one of those guys who works his butt off,” Alabama running back Brian Robinson Jr. said. “Fast guy, physical guy, knows how to finish plays well. It's exciting to be able to play against Jerome on the other side of the ball on one of the biggest stages. I'm excited to see how he handles that.”
Alabama has one of the best run defenses in the country, permitting 82.8 yards per game. The Tide hasn't given up more than 109 rushing yards since its third game (Florida ran for 246 yards) and hasn't allowed a run longer than 37 yards all year.
“(Ford) always ran hard,” Alabama defensive lineman Phidarian Mathis said. “He ran that ball pretty good. He still does. I know we're going to have to stop the run when it comes down to him.”
Sophomore linebacker Will Anderson Jr. is the star of Alabama's defense with a staggering 321⁄2 tackles for a loss. Anderson and freshman linebacker Dallas
Turner are key at containing running backs from the edge, and the Tide rotates through several defensive linemen.
Georgia's rushing attack, which was a key part of their dominant regular season, was limited to 109 yards on 30 carries in the SEC Championship.
Besides Georgia, Texas A&M and Florida were the only other teams to average more than three yards per carry against the Tide's run defense.
No defense has limited the Bearcats below three yards per carry.
Houston ranks 11th in the country against the run, allowing 105.7 yards per game, but Ford exploded for 187 yards on 18 carries to earn Most Outstanding Player honors. It was the first time in 2021 that Houston ceded more than 200 yards on the ground.