ATLANTA – If they can snag them from the bullpen in the early innings of World Series games, then why not in college football national semifinals?
Backup tailback Bo Scarbrough was the star of Alabama’s 24-7 downing of Washington in Saturday afternoon’s Peach Bowl national semifinal, with the 6-foot-2, 228-pound sophomore humbling the Huskies for 180 yards and two touchdowns on 19 carries. Scarbrough didn’t have 180 yards all season until the seventh game, when he collected 109 yards in the 49-10 win at Tennessee.
Before a Georgia Dome record crowd of 75,996, Scarbrough had nine first-half carries for 80 yards before adding a dazzling 68-yard touchdown run that made it 24-7 with 11:56 remaining in the game.
“Bo has really done a good job during the second half of the season, and he’s really almost like the middle reliever or closer,” Alabama offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin said. “Obviously he made a big play, but sometimes you don’t make those plays at the end of the first quarter. You make them as the defense gets more tired.”
Alabama’s other offensive weapons weren’t as overpowering, with freshman quarterback Jalen Hurts completing 7 of 14 passes for just 57 yards and rushing 19 times for only 50 yards. Starting tailback Damien Harris had nine carries for 30 yards, while top receivers Calvin Ridley and ArDarius Stewart combined on one catch for 6 yards.