Malachi Moore: “We Needed to Be More Physical in This Game”

NORMAN, Okla.- The Alabama Crimson Tide just couldn't find the pieces to get their fire started tonight after showing flashes of growth over the past few weeks. Many turnovers for Alabama limited them, and not creating turnovers limited them even more.

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Veteran defensive back Malachi Moore expressed his disappoint following the game, often stating, "we needed to be more physical." The Crimson Tide defense allowed the Sooners to record 18 first downs, 62 total plays, 325 total yards, and 34:11 in time of possession, ultimately beating the defense in many areas.

"Our defensive mindset, we don't really care how we get on the field. It's our job to put the fire out and stop them. So, we don't ever get mad at the offense, it's our job no matter how we get on the field to just go out there and stop them," said Moore regarding the turnovers on offense that led to the defense taking the field more.

Prior to the matchup against Oklahoma, it was evident on film that Jackson Arnold could hurt you with his legs. And if an opponent was not alert, then they would eventually pay. “We knew he was a mobile quarterback coming into the game. As we got to the game, we saw a lot more stuff from Vandy (similarity), and so it was just more of being physical. Simple. We just needed to be more physical than them and do our job. We didn’t do a good enough job tonight,” said Moore regarding what the defense seen from Arnold on film. Arnold ultimately was the leading rusher for the Sooners as he recored 131 yards. 

Many fans and critics alike noted the game had similar flashes of the Vanderbilt loss. During the game, the players may have had a glimpse of the past as well, but it was far too late to change the outcome. "We seen that they ran shuffle on film. It was always a high alert. Anytime we got unbalanced formation, or unbalanced formation with the tight end to the opposite side, we always alerted for the shuffle pass. And I think that’s one thing we did lose the job of,” said Moore in comparison to Vanderbilt and Oklahoma running similar shuffles.

The Crimson Tide will leave Norman falling 8-3, marking their third on the road loss. They look to finish out their season with an Iron Bowl win.

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