Foster Says Knee Is Fine

Amid concern that two consecutive weeks on artificial turf might take a toll on his still-recuperating knee, tailback DeShaun Foster said he came through last Saturday’s game at Oregon State without any problems.

“It was pretty good, actually,” he said. “It wasn’t what I was expecting.”

The 40 yards in 12 carries marked his first game ever on the carpet, after which Coach Bob Toledo noted that “The pounding on the AstroTurf made it swell a little bit.” Foster, who has played the last game and a half after sitting out the previous game and a half because of a sprained ligament in the left knee, said he wasn’t concerned at facing another game off grass as the Bruins go to Washington.

“I’ll probably know a little bit more after this weekend, how it’s held up,” Foster said. “But so far, it’s been good.”

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Practices, normally open to the public, will be closed next week as the Bruins prepare for USC. . . . The nine catches by Brian Poli-Dixon against Oregon State tied for No. 7 on UCLA’s single-game list. The last Bruin to catch more was J.J. Stokes, who had 14 in the 1994 Rose Bowl.