Mike Shula (Alabama Head Coach '03)

Obviously, it was very disappointing. In a tough loss like that where we didn't play 
like we wanted to play,
there were still some things that were positive that we're going to build on. That's 
going to be real important
for our team to take the good things we did against a real good team. They're #1 for a 
reason and we found that
out today. They're a well coached and talented team. But we've got to take those good 
things and grow. And we'
ve got to learn in a hurry and correct the bad things. I thought we were a little 
sloppy early, for whatever
reason. But we hung in there and our defense kept us in . kept the score low and gave 
us a chance. We got going
there and got the touchdown after the missed field goal, got it back to 13-10. We held 
them again and then they
come with the fake punt. What a gutsy call, what a great call on their part. That 
allowed them to stay on the
field, and then they came up with a big play. But again, we've got to build on the 
good things and we have a
lot of football left. It's disappointing, but I think we still have some great young 
men. Everyone on that
sideline. There's not one person in there getting frustrated. Everyone was believing 
until that final second
that we were going to be able to find a way to win it. That's what it takes. No matter 
the situation, that's
what it takes. We can work with that.



Dave Rader (Alabama Offensive Coordinator, quarterbacks coach)

These comments came following the Oklahoma game as Dave Rader answered questions from 
the press pool ...

Tonight . what if the field were six inches wider? We had our shots. We had some big 
play shots. We knew
against that defense we had to hit those big plays. Each one that didn't materialize 
just put us a little more
in the hole. But we had those shots, and those were big momentum boosts that we miss. 
Was a little surprised
that they brought as many dogs as they did. They had a little pressure and hit Brodie 
a couple of times, but he
kept bringing it. They're just a good defense. But I think it also shows that we can 
be a good offense.



Brodie Croyle (#12 So. QB, 6-3 200 lbs. Rainbow City, AL - Westbrook Christian)

We lost. We don't see any good in losing. The number one team in the nation . who 
cares. We're Alabama and we'
re supposed to win. We're never the underdogs. That's the way we look at it. It 
happens that we lost, but we
can build off of it kind of like we did last year. We don't get another shot at them. 
That's the bad thing
about it is we don't get another shot at them. Those guys are going to go a long way.

You took some pretty vicious hits out there. How does your body feel?

Ahh .. that's football. I expected it coming in. Those guys are big, fast, strong . 
that's the reason they're
the number one defense in the country. They were bringing a lot of crazy blitzes at 
us, nothing different than
we'd seen, but there's some things we can't pick up. As the quarterback, you have to 
stand in there and take
it. We took some pretty hard ones, but I got a week to heal.



Shaud Williams (#21 Sr. TB, 5-8 191 lbs. Andrews, TX - Texas Tech transfer)

As a player, anytime you go into a ballgame there's no such thing as moral victories. 
We came into this
ballgame expecting to win. I think the fans expected that too. It's one of those 
things where you feel good
cause you played them close, but at the same time you want to come out with the 
victory.



Justin Smiley (#78 Jr. LG, 6-4 293 lbs. Ellabell, GA - Southeast Bulloch)

Is there any sense of confidence knowing that you played the #1 team down to the wire 
again this year?

I don't really believe in moral victories. People talk about that. They're a really 
good team and you have to
give them all the credit, but it's like last season after the OU loss, I really didn't 
think we were going to
lose another game after that. That's how I feel. I don't think we're going to lose 
another game if we can play
the way we're supposed to play.



DeMeco Ryans (#35 So. SLB, 6-2 225 lbs. Bessemer - Jess Lanier)

Do you guys feel like you measured up pretty well to the #1 team in the nation?

I think it was an evenly matched game, you know. There wasn't a better team. There was 
just the team that made
the big play at the right time.


---------------------------------------------------------
"It wouldn't have been somewhere else," Shula said. "If
it hadn't been Alabama, I would have stayed where I was."


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