There were blown coverages, botched assignments and missed tackles. The offensive line couldn’t get a push for the running game and the pass rushers couldn’t get to the quarterback.

So the Aggies hit the reset button during their bye week and went back to a training camp mindset.

“We have a good week of practice fundamentally,” coach Jimbo Fisher said. “We went to back to fall camp style practices. They went back, competed very hard, technically, steps, alignments, assignments … where your eyes went on defense, how you fit a run. We went back to a lot of drills to allow them concentrate on fundamentals, not scheme.”

After two losses to nationally-ranked Clemson and Auburn, as well as a tougher-than-expected win over Arkansas, the Aggies needed the opportunity to get their minds right and to eliminate the repeated issues that had plagued them through five games. Instead of a relaxing week used to add new wrinkles, the Aggies took away all the wrinkles and worked on the basics.

“Our practice went back to fall camp … working on training drills, working on being physical, those fundamental things,” wide receiver Jhamon Ausbon said.

Both lines got a lot of physical work in, but Fisher said there weas also an emphasis on technique as the Aggies look for answers to some of their early season troubles.

“Line drills, one-on-one drills, two-on-two drills, where you can technically do things and make things a better habit than they were before. I thought we did a good job of that (during the bye week),” he said.

The running game was a point of emphasis, as the linemen worked on their own technique and schematic points and worked with the tight ends and running backs as a complete group.

“We did a lot more blocking drills, using the tight ends as well,” right tackle Carson Green said.

After a week that served as a refresher course, the Aggies hit the field again Saturday to face off with No. 1 Alabama. Like their bye week practices, Ausbon said the key’s to the team’s success are basic.

“It’s a matter of us coming out and doing our job,” he said. “It’s not rocket science. It’s a matter of coming out and doing it.”