Teams typically improve over the bye week, but rarely do they get bigger and stronger.

That’s apparently what is happening for Alabama leading into the Tide’s showdown with Georgia at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday at Sanford Stadium.

Coach Kalen DeBoer has said senior tailback Jam Miller and senior defensive tackle Tim Keenan lll are ready to make their season debuts after being sidelined the Tide’s first three games with injuries sustained in fall camp.

“No question that Jam is a complete back all-around,” DeBoer said at this press conference. “Not just what you see with him carrying the football, but with his pass protection responsibility and his ability to get the job done physically as well. He’s very important that way. He’s someone that we trust at the highest level.”

Alabama’s run game has sputtered without Miller out of the lineup since suffering a collarbone injury in an Aug. 16 scrimmage, ranking 102nd among FBS teams with 123.7 rushing yards per game.

The Tide’s rushing defense has also been affected by attrition as Keenan underwent tightrope surgery on his ankle after injuring it in late August.

Alabama ranks 71st against the run, surrendering 138.3 yards per game, something a healthy Keenan can quickly address.

“He was voted team captain for a reason,” DeBoer said. “He’s a big anchor, big body in there who can hold down the line of scrimmage. It’s good to have him back.”

If the return of a key back and key defensive lineman before this game sounds familiar, it’s because Alabama’s situation is similar to the one Georgia was in entering last season’s matchup in Tuscaloosa.

The Tide will have to hope its players coming off injury perform better than those at UGA who had hoped to make an impact after suffering injuries.

Former UGA back Trevor Etienne was coming off a shoulder injury sustained the game before against Kentucky and carried 12 times for 55 yards against Alabama last season, while first-round NFL draft pick Mykel Williams played just 25 snaps and did not record a tackle while attempting to come back from the high ankle sprain he suffered in the season-opening win over Clemson.

The current Bulldogs have injuries to starters entering this season’s game, too, as veteran right tackle Earnest Greene lll has seen his snaps limited by back and lower extremity issues, and freshman right guard Juan Gaston has been challenged working his way back from the ankle injury he suffered in the season-opening game.

Georgia coach Kirby Smart has made no secret of the Bulldogs need to establish the run game to get the offense on track and noted the potential impact of Keenan’s return.

“He’s a tremendous player, he’s explosive, he’s quick, twitchy, disruptive, hard to move,” Smart said at his Tuesday night press conference. “They move him around. He plays in different fronts, odd and four down.”

Keenan played 34 snaps against Georgia last season at his nose tackle position in a game that saw Alabama out-rush the Bulldogs 177 to 80 yards.

While Keenan is back, the Tide will continue to be without edge Jay-Marien Latham, who suffered a neck injury in Tuesday’s practice. Latham, who played 55 snaps against UGA last season, has missed the past two games while recovering from an injury he suffered in the season-opening loss to Florida State.

DeBoer said he’s confident his Alabama players will stick together leading into the game.

“I know there’s a high want-to factor this group has, (and) they’ve shown it in the work,” DeBoer said. “They’ve shown it in their preparation. That’s the key. Really just prepare, invest, and do everything you can to be confident and do something special together.”

The Tide will attempt to snap Georgia’s school-record 33-game home streak and hand Smart would be his first home loss under the lights since taking over as the Bulldogs head coach before the 2016 season (17-0).

Alabama, meanwhile, looks to reverse a trend that has seen it lose five of the past six games played outside of Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa.

“We’re going to have to be resilient, (and) understand that adversity against good football teams is going to happen,” DeBoer said. “Know what our response is going to be, choose our response and understand what that looks like even now, not just when it happens.”