Maurice Linguist using head coaching experience during Alabama's 'adverse situations'

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Maurice Linguist’s second season at Buffalo wasn’t the start he wanted. The Bulls lost their first three games against Maryland, Holy Cross and Coastal Carolina to open the 2022 campaign with an 0-3 record. However, Buffalo ended September with a victory over Eastern Michigan and didn’t lose again until November, winning six straight.

Linguist is not comparing the Bulls’ difficult start to Alabama’s recent skid, losing two of its last three, but the Crimson Tide’s cornerbacks coach’s experience could prove to be helpful as UA looks to bounce back this week against Missouri and keep its playoff hopes alive.

“Different league, different scenarios, but you can learn from the poise that you have to have in adverse situations,” Linguist said. “Really what comes alive is the DNA of who you are. And so you lose a tough game on the road to Tennessee, there’s lessons to be learned through every single thing that we do. 

“Ultimately, what’s the objective? We’re trying to play our best football as the season goes along, build depth, continue to build the growth of our roster, continue to develop the depth of our roster, put our players in the position to be successful. And on game day, it’s about being game-ready and putting yourself in a position to go win.”

Alabama has two losses before the month of November for the first time since 2007. After a win over then-No. 2 Georgia, the Tide has struggled in its last three games, leading to unrest among the fanbase. With little margin for error, Alabama is blocking out external factors.

“Every other thing that doesn’t really involve that is noise and distractions,” Linguist said. “Now, they can be real, and so the mental toughness piece is can you block out things that decrease our chances of winning and focus on what it takes to win?

“So we’ve gotta focus on doing our job. We’ve gotta focus on the trust that we have to have. If a guy’s supposed to be in a certain position, make sure he’s there, and us as coaches, getting our guys focused on the job at hand. And that job, that task this week is Missouri, Homecoming game at home, and we’ve gotta find a way to go get a W.”

Alabama (5-2, 2-2 SEC) isn’t used to losing, and neither is head coach Kalen DeBoer, who took the Crimson Tide job with 12 career losses. He’s since added two to his resume after picking up arguably the best win of the 2024 college football season just four weeks ago.

As Alabama looks to get back on track, Linguist was asked how the coaches keep morale up.

“Football is hard,” Linguist said. “When you go through difficult things, you’ve gotta push. You’ve gotta go. And the only way I know how to really grow your toughness is how do you maintain a really good mental space and focus on what it takes to win. It really is that difficult and that easy at the same time. 

“How you handle the hard things through October, through November is really gonna be the difference. If it was an ability thing, they wouldn’t be here. We have the ability. 

“So we’ve gotta make sure we’re focusing on making sure we’re doing our job, making sure we’re focusing on the details, fundamentals and technique and scheme – what to do, how to do it and why to do it – and going out there with a chip on your shoulder, a competitive edge to go out there and play our best football as we get into November.”

Linguist’s group is faced with a difficult challenge this week as Missouri has one of the top receiving corps in the SEC. The Alabama defense played better last week against Tennessee, but there are still areas that need improvement. Linguist, however, has liked the fight the players have shown, and that remains as the Tide tries to secure its sixth victory.

“I think our guys keep showing up,” Linguist said. “Going on the road at Tennessee, we didn’t get the end result that we wanted, but we certainly gave ourselves a chance. You come away, (Jaylen Mbakwe)’s interception, Malachi (Moore) had an interception. There’s a ton of great moments, a ton of guys competing their butt off. 

“Keon (Sabb) pushing through what he had to push through to show how much he loves this team, how much he loves this program, how much he loves Alabama. He’s out there competing. Domani Jackson. We’ve got so many guys that are giving every single thing that they have. It’s really not hard to look each other in the face and know we have each other’s back.”

Linguist continued, “We can’t be a prisoner of any one moment. So we deal with a difficult situation and the strength and the identity of who we are is gonna really still be told throughout the last five games and the last back half of the season and what we can make of this team and what we can do coming down the stretch. So we can’t be a prisoner of an end result. 

“We’ve gotta stay focused on our process. We’ve gotta detail our work. We’ve gotta do what we have to do throughout the week, our film-watching plan. It really is focusing on your process and your plan and then getting yourself game-ready on Saturday to go out there and play your best football.

“We’ve got a locker room full of guys that have really been committed and shown the strength and the togetherness of pushing through a lot of stuff through this season. So I’m proud of where we are. I’m proud of the guys. We’re gonna fight our butt off to get 1-0 one more week and then we’ll get to our bye week and see what we’ve gotta do moving forward.”

Not a member, Alabama fans? Join BOL today!

Have you subscribed to BamaOnLine.com yet? You can sign up for ONE MONTH of premium access to our Alabama coverage for just $11.99! Be able to read all of BOL’s premium articles and nuggets covering Alabama sports and recruiting and also join thousands of other Crimson Tide fans around the globe on the BOL Round Table message board! CLICK HERE!