TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) Western Carolina coach Mark Speir left town unhappy with the final score but pleased with the way his outmanned team battled to the finish.

The Catamounts lost 49-0 to No. 4 Alabama on Saturday in the season finale after falling behind by six touchdowns in the first half against a Southeastern Conference team still in the hunt for a national title.

"We're just proud of our players in the second half," Speir said after wrapping up his first season. "When you're getting into an ugly ballgame like that, our players didn't quit playing; they kept fighting. At halftime we were going to play for 30 more minutes and see where our program is at, in an infant stage where we are trying to build our program.