Alabama trying to rebound from tough loss

TUSCALOOSA, ALABAMA - Darrell Dickey has often called Alabama coach Dennis Franchione for advice over the years. <br> <br> The North Texas coach didn&#39;t have that luxury this week with his team playing the Crimson Tide Saturday night. <br> <br> ``Coach Franchione is probably at this point in time the guy that I look up to the most that&#39;s still active in coaching,&#39;&#39; said Dickey, who was Kansas State&#39;s quarterback when Franchione was a Wildcats assistant. <br> <br> ``Coach Fran is a guy that when I&#39;ve got a problem and I want to consult somebody, he&#39;s the one I call.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> Dickey could probably have used some help this week from his coaching mentor and friend while preparing the Mean Green (1-1) to visit Bryant-Denny Stadium. <br> <br> Alabama (1-1), a three-touchdown favorite, was two minutes away from upsetting No. 2 Oklahoma last weekend before letting the game and a five-game winning streak slip away. <br> <br> The Tide players are trying to put the loss behind them. <br> <br> ``I think we&#39;ve been more motivated by how close we got,&#39;&#39; said quarterback Tyler Watts, who had a late fumble returned for a game-clinching touchdown. <br> <br> ``We&#39;ve sort of returned to Square One and tried to correct our mistakes. You still think back on it, on what could have happened. But you have to get over it.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> Safety Waine Bacon said the Tide showed character in the 37-27 loss to the Sooners after rallying from a 20-point halftime deficit - and can do it again by rebounding strongly. <br> <br> ``We&#39;ve got to come out every week and we&#39;ve got to prepare for every team like they&#39;re the best team in the nation,&#39;&#39; Bacon said. ``Every team that plays Alabama is going to give us their best game, because we&#39;re Alabama.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> North Texas doesn&#39;t have to look far for a confidence boost. Fellow Sun Belt Conference team Middle Tennessee played Alabama close two weeks ago, losing 39-34. <br> <br> ``Our players will look at that game and say Middle played them quite well and if not for a play here or a play there, Middle could have won the game,&#39;&#39; Dickey said. <br> <br> The Mean Green haven&#39;t been scored upon in the second half this season, including a 27-0 loss to No. 3 Texas. <br> <br> Franchione knows what to expect from his former pupil, who&#39;s also the son of his first college coaching boss, Jim Dickey. <br> <br> ``Their whole football team will play tough, hard-nosed football,&#39;&#39; Franchione said. ``They&#39;re not real fancy, they&#39;re just well coached. They play hard. <br> <br> ``They won&#39;t beat themselves in hardly any way. It would be very uncharacteristic of them. They make you beat them.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> The ties don&#39;t end with Franchione and Dickey. The cousin of the North Texas coach, Grant Dickey, is an Alabama offensive lineman. Mean Green running backs coach Freddie Kitchens is a former Tide quarterback. <br> <br> Dickey said the Mean Green can&#39;t afford to get caught up in such external factors. <br> <br> ``We&#39;re going to have our hands full with an outstanding University of Alabama football team,&#39;&#39; he said. ``For us to do anything at all, we&#39;ve got to focus on what&#39;s most important and what&#39;s most important is to be ready to play at game time.&#39;&#39;

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