Riley stresses attitude, dedication

By Kerry Eggers

The Portland Tribune, Oct 3, 2006, Updated Oct 30, 2009

Washington State QB Alex Brink, from Eugene's Sheldon High, threw for 287 yards in the Cougars' narrow loss to USC Saturday.

OTTO GREULE JR. / GETTY IMAGES

All across Oregon, Beaver believers are giving up on their football team.

Mike Riley says that won’t be the case with the coaches and players.

“We’re 2-2,” says Riley, whose Beavers laid an egg for the second time in last Saturday’s 41-13 loss to California. “There are a whole bunch of teams in the country that are 2-2. We don’t like the two on the minus side, but we know we can play a heck of a lot better than we did in the two losses.”

Is Riley concerned about the psyche of his players in light of the Cal debacle, coupled with an earlier 42-14 defeat at Boise State?

“I am,” he says. “That’s a big battle we have to face.”

Riley met with his players after Saturday’s game and again on Sunday, stressing that attitude and dedication and staying together can reap dividends in the future – beginning with Saturday’s game against Washington State at Reser Stadium.

“The fact of the matter is, we have a lot of football ahead of us,” Riley says. “Those are disappointing, bad losses. They hurt. I hate that worse than anything in the world. It’s gut-wrenching.

“What we have to do is go to work. We have to bring our lunch buckets, and we have to come out with a tremendous passion for all that we do as we go about our preparation for the next game.”

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