While consistency is hard to define, inconsistency is fairly easily quantified.

Take Alabama’s running game as the prime example. This is a group that leads the nation averaging 6.05 yards per rushing attempt. Nobody has more 50-yard runs than Alabama’s six so you can see where this is going.

The Crimson Tide is coming off a season-low 29 rushing yards in 27 attempts against Mississippi State and entering a road game at LSU. A year ago, the Tigers held Alabama to just six net rushing yards on 26 attempts — the least in a few Crimson Tide generations so the consistency in the ground game earned extra attention entering the season’s final month.

One additional statistic explains the gap between a team nation’s top average carry and a few home run shots.

Alabama ranks 81st in stuff rate by FootballOutsiders.com. That measures the number of carries stopped at the line of scrimmage for no gain or for a loss. The Tide has been stuffed on 18.3% of its 279 running plays this fall is a departure from the last few seasons. None of the other top four teams in average rushing attempts ranked outside the top 20 in stuff rate.

While the 2021 team was 74th in rushing offense (compared to 17th so far this season), it was 36th with a 15.6% stuff rate. The 50-yard runs totaled two in 15 games. And the 2020 title team paced by Najee Harris and a Joe Moore Award winning offensive line was No. 12 with a 13.1% stuff rate.

So, what’ the plan entering the 6 p.m. CT Saturday game at No. 15 LSU?

Nick Saban on Monday said the Crimson Tide needs “to have a little more diversity in what we’re doing,” in a nod to coaching side of the equation. He also said the execution of the plan could stand to improve at the same time.

This is an offense led by Jahmyr Gibbs’ 672 rushing yards on 98 attempts. That comes out to 6.9 yards per attempt and 84.0 per game with a few big plays factored in. He had touchdown runs of 72 and 76 yards in the fourth quarter at Arkansas when backup quarterback Jalen Milroe scrambled of 77 on another play.

No. 2 running back Jase McClellan netted 312 yards on his first 54 carries of the season (5.8 per carry) with an 81-yard touchdown sprint at Texas.

The 30-6 win over Mississippi State included no running play longer than 19 yards. That took Alabama into the open week with a heavy dose of self-scouting.

“We kind of just tried to improve the little details in our technique,” said starting right guard Emil Ekiyor. “The coaches, they looked over the scheme, how they can put us in better situations going forward. I think we just really put our head down and get some good work done last week and made some improvement in those areas.”

They will face two defenses in the next two weeks who have struggled at times with run defense. LSU is No. 66 allowing 142.0 yards per game while the Nov. 12 opponent, Ole Miss is No. 84 with an average allowance of 155.8 yards per game.

LSU is coming off an open week and its best performance stopping the rush all season. The 45-20 win over Ole Miss saw Lane Kiffin’s group run for just 117 yards (3.2 yards per attempt). This was an Ole Miss offense ranked No. 3 in yards per game that turned around and ran for 390 yards (6.2-yard average) in last Saturday’s 31-28 win at Texas A&M.

For the season, LSU’s defensive stuff rate of 18.2% ranks 65th, according to FootballOutsiders.com.

“You know, it just boils down to execution as a unit,” Alabama quarterback Bryce Young said. “That’s not one position group’s job or anything. As a unit, it’s something that we all need to do better at. We make decisions and then everyone involved with just being more consistent so I think when it comes down to it, Xs and Os are great, it’s just us as a unit executing better and being more consistent with that.”

As a whole, Alabama’s averaging 211.0 rushing yards per game is good for 17th in the FBS. Against Power 5 competition, the average dips to 189.5 yards (compared to 275.5 in games with Utah State and UL-Monroe).

Michael Casagrande is a reporter for the Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @ByCasagrande or on Facebook.