Emotion was as high as the humidity in the small visiting media interview room under Tiger Stadium on Sunday night.

With LSU fans loudly celebrating could be heard through the door, Will Anderson and Bryce Young stepped to the podium. They’d just lost to LSU, 32-31 and every bit of that was visible on their faces.

The reality of a premature exit from the national title race was setting in after a second loss of a 2022 season that began with No. 1 rankings and talk of revenge. But after two losses in three games, recalibrated goals were still forming as the future first-round picks processed what had just happened.

Young’s voice cracked a few times as Anderson had the linebacker stare. The pass-rush specialist who had one of Alabama’s six sacks Saturday had something he wanted to say after answering the first question asked.

“I just want to say,” he said, “no matter the outcome of the game, I’m super proud of all those guys because Monday through Friday, we work our ass off. There’s no bullshit and all those guys are locked in. Effort is not the issue. We just have to lock in. It’s all mental. But I am super proud of those guys and I wouldn’t have rather gone to war but with any other of those guys.”

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Anderson later explained some of the issues they experienced on defense at LSU.

“I don’t think we were locked in to what the play calling was,” he said. “I kinda think we got scattered a little bit, a lot of stuff was happening, a lot of penalties and things like that were taking away the focus of what coach was calling and what our job was.”

Alabama allowed 232 yards and 25 points after halftime after surrendering just 135 and seven points before the break. LSU won it with a 25-yard Jayden Daniels overtime run followed by his two-point conversion throw to Mason Taylor.

Michael Casagrande is a reporter for the Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @ByCasagrande or on Facebook.