Bruins Still Taking a Bruising

The Bruins haven’t played in three weeks and won’t play in the Sun Bowl for another three, but there’s no stopping the injury siege along the defensive line. Rusty Williams, who started 11 regular-season games at defensive end despite a variety of injuries, will undergo surgery on both shoulders next week and miss the Sun Bowl, Coach Bob Toledo said Tuesday.

“He’s been going on adrenaline, basically,” Toledo said. “He just can’t go any further.”

Defensive tackle Kory Lombard, who started the last three games, is questionable for the Sun Bowl after suffering a broken left arm in a collision with tailback DeShaun Foster at practice. Foster was unhurt.

Linebacker Robert Thomas, who made second team All-Pac-10, is not expected to practice for two weeks after tests confirmed a stress fracture in his left foot. Thomas, on crutches Tuesday, said he had “no doubt” he would play in the Sun Bowl.

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Offensive coordinator Al Borges said he had spoken with San Jose State Athletic Director Chuck Bell to express interest in Spartans’ head coaching vacancy. Toledo said he had called Bell to encourage him to grant Borges an interview.

The job opened Sunday, when Coach Dave Baldwin failed to agree on a new contract. Borges said he was not necessarily troubled by the last contract proposal Bell made to Baldwin, a three-year contract with an annual base salary of $160,000 and clauses that would allow the school to terminate the contract after one or two years if the Spartans did not post a winning record in Western Athletic Conference play. Borges earns $114,500 at UCLA.