Toledo Issues a Challenge

A frank but optimistic Coach Bob Toledo stressed unity in the face of adversity, challenging the Bruins to maintain their commendable work ethic coming off the condemnable game performance last Saturday at Oregon State.

“Right now, we’re a struggling football team,” Toledo said. “It’d be easy for me to do some drastic things. I’ve already yelled at them, I’ve screamed at them, I’ve worked their tails off. I’ve done all those things. What I’m going to do as the head football coach is I’m going to tell them all that we need to stick together, we don’t need to point fingers, we need to get better.

“I think that the mood is where I put it. Yeah, they’ll go into the tank and fold the tents if I let ‘em. I’m not going to let ‘em do that. I don’t know what we’re going to do. All I can do is be myself and try to keep their spirits and show some light through the tunnel, and hope it’s not a train coming from the other side.

“It’s easy to get all disgruntled and all upset, but it doesn’t do anybody any good. I guess what I’m saying is you’ve got to take the lows with the highs. We’ve had some highs, and everybody enjoyed that. And now people have got to take the lows. But believe me, we’ll be back. Hopefully soon. But we will be back.”

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Tailback DeShaun Foster went through light drills Monday in the first real test of the sprained ankle that kept him out of the last two games. More will be known today, after the medical staff sees how much the joint has swelled or stiffened, but the Bruins hope for a return this week. Either way, Keith Brown will start against Arizona. . . . As a sign of his team-wide disappointment, Toledo did not name a player of the game for offense, defense or special teams for the Oregon State defeat, the second week in a row he has skipped the ceremonial honors.