Embrace the pain. Endure the discomfort. Wallow in the misery.
That was the core of the message the Bruins sent to their team on Saturday after the team suffered its worst home-opening loss since the 2010 defeat to the Boston Celtics.
“I told my players not to forget that emotion that you felt at the end of the game,” Foster said Monday about the Rose Bowl game. “I want you to contain that emotion and find a way to express it here every day this week and not have that emotion.”
The Bruins started practice Monday in a slightly depressed state, with players perfunctory during the roughly 30-minute session that was open to reporters and a normally talkative coaching staff that was silent.
As the Bruins (1-1) began preparations for a nonconference game against No. 16 Louisiana State (2-1) on Saturday at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, players said the mood was gradually lighter as they realized they couldn’t take it slow on the road to success.
“We can’t rest on our laurels after the last game,” Harden said. “We’ve got to move on to this game.”
There was a lot to process two days after that heartbreaking home-opener loss. The defensive lineman said he was “a little emotional” in the locker room, but he was one of the players who galvanized his teammates by talking about the changes that needed to be made.
“He really said we have to play for each other more,” Havili Kaufusi said, “and emphasized the bad feelings we have when we lose. We’re all competitors on this team and we don’t want to go through that again.”
Oddsmakers expect the Bruins to continue to struggle. UCLA is a 22.5-point underdog against LSU and is projected with similar odds in upcoming games against ninth-ranked Oregon and 10th-ranked Penn State.
Foster said he was encouraged by how many of his players showed up at the practice facility on a scheduled day off and watched tape. What on the tape made them flinch? High on the list was an offense averaging just 14.5 points per game, thanks to a struggling fifth-year quarterback and a stalled run game.
For Foster, the problem wasn’t a new West Coast offense that was too complicated for college players, or the wrong calls in the wrong situations. Foster said the problem started with the e-word.
“It’s really about play execution,” Foster said. “If we execute something late in the game and it goes through, it’s about execution. So it’s really about just going out there and executing and quit beating ourselves up.”
Foster rejected the notion that playing in the NFL makes him and his team uniquely equipped to fix a running game that averaged 83.5 yards per game (122nd out of 133 major college teams).
“Anyone can run the ball,” Foster said. “Coach (Chip) Kelly ran the ball, but he didn’t use a running back, so the guys are focusing on that more than anything, but the run game will be fixed.”
LSU’s defense may give them a chance to make those adjustments, considering the Tigers are off to a slow start to the season, allowing just 154 rushing yards per game.
“I promise you guys, we’re going to figure this out,” Harden said. “We’re going to come together as a team and figure out how to zigzag across the finish line.”
“The best thing about this is we’re playing again in six days,” Foster said.
etc.
Foster did not comment on the status of injured defensive lineman Keanu Williams and defensive back Kanye Clark. Williams was seen with a protective boot on one foot after leaving Saturday’s game, and Clark was injured while covering the kickoff.
