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SAN JOSE--He may have become known for smart one-liners and comedic presence, but there were no laughs from senior defensive end Dave Ball late Tuesday night.

Instead he offered a critical look at his fellow teammates.

"I think Coach Dorrell needs to look at the personnel he has honestly and evaluate each player because some people are letting this program down," Ball said, after finishing the game with two solo tackles and five total. "I'm telling you that now and people need to be dealt with. Not everybody is working as hard as the people who are working the hardest."

Maybe his words were an emotional aftermath resulting from being fully routed by Fresno State Tuesday at the Silicon Valley Classic, but Ball, a consensus All American, has also seen the attitude necessary for success when he traveled the awards circuit with other elite players who come from top programs around the country.

And it's an attitude the Bruins seemingly don't have.

"I got to know the Oklahoma players, hearing their outlooks and how intense they are. Everything is about football," Ball said. "Maybe there are too many distractions here, and UCLA isn't exactly in the land of football. We're just not as focused and intense as they are."

A perceived lack of intensity is disconcerting, especially with this latest debacle constituting the fifth loss in a row for the Bruins, the longest losing streak in 60 years, something Ball describes as "the curse of mediocrity."

His sentiment seems to be echoed by other departing seniors.

"I agree with (Ball)," running back Akil Harris said. "It's about people wanting to be there at the top level, to be in the top BCS bowl instead of being mediocre. We got the players. We just have to go out and handle our business."

These are clearly troubling responses from players whose team had three weeks to gear up and be ready for the Bulldogs.

But according the coaching staff, they thought the team was ready--both in game and mental preparation. Apparently they were mistaken.

"Our players worked hard and had very good practices," offensive coordinator Steve Axman said. "That's what makes the result that much harder to realize."

To Ball, coaching seems to be the least of the UCLA's worries. He reserves the utmost confidence for first-year head coach Karl Dorrell to turn the program around.

"If anyone can do it, it's Dorrell, I'm telling you," Ball said. "He was dealt a bad hand to begin with, but he knows how stuff is done. It's not the coaching staff. It's not him. Fire us, fire me.

"I'm going to point the finger at myself. I was not as vocal of a leader as I should have been. I should have led more. I should have gotten in people's faces more. It starts from the top. It's over now, but just thinking back on the mediocrity ... forget it."