Calvin Ridley's claim to fame is his ability to catch the ball and make defenders miss when he does. It's what made him a top player in college football as a freshman in 2015 and a future NFL prospect.

But when Ridley was asked recently what skill he aimed to improve the most this season, he offered an interesting answer.

"I really just want to get my blocking better," Ridley said.

Over the years, men who have played Ridley's position have been accused of being selfish, high-maintenance individuals. Ridley is not that. He's quiet and unassuming -- characteristics that serve him well in Alabama's offense, where even the best players have to do grunt work.

That is no different for the wideouts -- a group head coach Nick Saban plans to lean on over the course of the season.

"One of the strengths on our team, I feel, is the receivers, and we want to continue to try to have an offense that can create explosive plays through those guys," Saban said recently.

That's true. But Saban also wants to pound teams into submission with the Tide's rushing attack. So, Saban and offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin have created a system that allows Alabama to deploy its best weapons on the outside without sacrificing the in-the-trenches physical identity the program has created during its dynasty years.

They have done this through "11" personnel, which features one running back, one tight end and three receivers. According to Pro Football Focus, Alabama used this grouping 62 percent of the time in its 52-6 victory over USC, and twenty-three of the 39 snaps in the "11" look were running plays.

That meant receivers like Ridley and ArDarius Stewart had to do quite a bit of heavy lifting away from the ball. That was especially true for Ridley, who only made two catches for nine yards and run-blocked on more than half his snaps.

Yet Stewart's yeoman's effort was overlooked too, because of his raw production and the sizzle in his stat line. He collected four receptions for 113 yards and scored two touchdowns -- outshining all skill-position players on the field.

In addition to shredding the Trojans' secondary, he also run-blocked on 25 of his 44 snaps. Stewart's strong overall performance was encapsulated in a short three-minute sequence in the second quarter.

Just after giving Alabama the lead with a 39-yard touchdown catch, he helped ignite the ground game. That's when he tied up and manhandled defensive back Iman Marshall, springing Damien Harris to run 46 yards -- the running back's second biggest gain of the night and by far the greatest he had up until that point. As was the case with Stewart's touchdown catch, this big play came out of the "11" package.

"Blocking is just as important for the guys on the outside as it is for the guys on the line," Stewart said last week. "We're going to need that running back to sit back there and pass protect when we're down field so we can get the ball. It ties in together."

Indeed it does.

It's what makes Alabama's offense so potent. The Crimson Tide can attack teams in several different ways with its best players on the field at all times. And in 2016 the receivers are the backbone of the offense.

"Their 11 personnel is a very dangerous animal," USC coach Clay Helton said.

On Saturday, he found that out the hard way as Stewart, Ridley and Co. flexed their muscles during a dominant performance that showed off more than their receiving talents.