Playing for Pride, if There’s Any Left

The Bruins, after taking Sunday off as usual, get back together today to prepare for Arizona. Whether they also come together is the question.

Even Coach Bob Toledo acknowledged in the aftermath of the 55-7 debacle of a defeat to Oregon State on Saturday that he did not know if that loss would demoralize his team, the harshest blow yet in a season of struggles. There is reason for such concern because they had invested so much emotionally on the outcome of that game, only to have their pride trampled, along with everything else.

Quarterback Cory Paus, after playing so poorly the week before against California, put pressure on himself to show improvement against Oregon State. Then Paus completed only one of his first six passes and was seven for 15 for 95 yards when he got pulled late in the third quarter.

Toledo challenged the Bruins at halftime, wanting to see what kind of pride his players would show. Then they got outscored, 13-0, the last two quarters.

UCLA needed a win as the payoff for continued hard work in practice, needed to see the effort was going toward something. Then the Bruins suffered their worst defeat in 69 years.

“I can’t even explain it,” guard Oscar Cabrera said, trying to capture the mood. “It’s hard to explain it right now. Everybody’s just wondering. It’s weird.”

Wondering what?

“What’s going on.”

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Kickoff for Saturday’s game against Arizona at the Rose Bowl is 7 p.m. Fox Sports West 2 will televise. . . . That wasn’t some third-string defense Oregon State blew through in the fourth quarter to crack the 50-point barrier. Among the Bruins on the field for the three-yard scoring run by walk-on tailback Hashim Hall with 2:43 remaining were starters Tony White, Ryan Nece, Ricky Manning, Rusty Williams and former starters Eric Whitfield and Julius Williams.