C.J. Mosley spoke to the team in the locker room after the Colorado State game to express dissatisfaction with the performance. (AP photo)
Looking around the locker room, it was full of players on a team that just won its first home game by a margin of 25 points and now stands 3-0, still No. 1 in the nation.
Still not good enough. Alabama gave up 228 passing yards and converted on just two of their 10 third down tries.
No box score needed. They saw it in themselves – without statistical backup – and took matters into their own hands.
“We felt we didn’t dominate. After coach Saban’s little speech, me, AJ, Vinnie, we kind of said how we really feel,” senior linebacker C.J. Mosley said. “I started off because I was pretty upset, especially with the defense.
“The things we gave up were mental errors, just little things, just fundamental errors, so I felt like we’re about to play Ole Miss next week and about to start getting into SEC play. Those little things will get us beat bad, get us embarrassed so we’ve got to make sure everyone’s doing their job.”
Even after the win, the subjects of the speeches agreed that it needed to happen.
“I think everybody’s reaction was just that we have to buy in. Pretty much buy in,” right tackle Austin Shepherd said. “All the guys have to do what they are supposed to do when they are supposed to do it. And we’ve got to get it rolling.
“I mean, there’s always parts of the season like that. You guys don’t know, but always stuff happens, we always have our private times, and that was just public I guess, they told everyone that it happened. And it was good that it happened.”
What exactly was said?
“We didn’t play to the best of our ability and we should have and I felt like the leaders just stepped up and said ‘Look, we’ve got to do what we got to do. If we want to win it all again, we’ve got to be perfect,'” Shepherd said.
It may have been a bit about what was said, but more about who said it: the quiet leader they know Mosley to be.
“Theres’ a couple of guys not he team that you just sort of lock in on them when they’re talking. Guys like him and AJ,” tight end Brian Vogler said. “They’ve been around for awhile, they know how the system works, they’ve got a lot of success to their name, they’ve really made a really good brand for themselves as players.
“So when they say something you sort of have to hone in on it and take what they say to heart.”
The message has gone through.
“Yeah, these last two practices, Monday and today, there’s been a lot more energy and people have been going at it and I feel like it was good what they did after the game,” Shepherd said.
Vogler added, “I think it’s made a pretty big change. We’ve got a lot of guys over emphasizing on communication. For the offense, that was a big thing for us, so we’re really trying to overemphasize that. Even if we’re yelling calls and the defense starts catching on to what we’re doing, at least we’re on the same page as a unit.”
