BRUINS MUST BE DOING SOMETHING RIGHT.

Byline: STEVE DILBECK

He made for a lousy victim, but he had that plaintive, bewildered look going that almost made you wonder.

``Let me ask you something.'' said UCLA coach Bob Toledo. ``Did we win that game 56-17 or lose it?''

This was not a trick question. Coaches do not ask trick questions. They only ask questions when their answer is obvious. And, sure enough, we checked, and UCLA absolutely did beat Cal 56-17 on Saturday.

Only Toledo, hound-dog look intact, wasn't so sure the world - particularly that pesky little media element - had seen it that way.

``It bothers you as a person when our players are busting their fannies to try and win football games and it's never good enough,'' Toledo said. ``I think that's being insensitive. There's never enough positive things, it's always the negative things.''

This is a familiar coaching refrain - always with the negative - but typically isn't espoused by coaches whose teams are 6-0, ranked fourth in the country and third by the all-important BCS.

Yet Toledo was so convinced his Bruins had been maligned after their victory over winless Cal, that, unprovoked, he opened his weekly media session with a five-minute diatribe/scolding.

Always with the negative.

``DeShaun Foster didn't rush for enough yards. We got sacked four times. We're not throwing the ball enough,'' he said.

``The first comments out of people is, 'Why did you do that? What happened there? Why did you have to run a double-reverse to score a touchdown?' Geesh, I mean, golly, what do you have to do?''

Stop it, stop it right now, or we'll be in tears.

``What you have to realize is, they've got 85 scholarships, they've got players, they've got coaches,'' Toledo said. ``Don't they?''

We double-fact checked this, and sure enough, Cal has both players and coaches. See, coaches know what questions to ask.

Some of Cal's players could probably even play for UCLA, and most of its coaches will soon be available to coach there.

No matter, Toledo had his agenda in high gear and wasn't backing off. Sure, the Bruins gave up four sacks in the first half, but they made adjustments and didn't allow any in the second half. The Bears stacked the line with eight and nine players, and Foster ran for 117 yards and two touchdowns. The Bruins had 531 yards in offense. They scored 56 points. Their first-string defense gave up one crummy touchdown.

``I can't tell you how to write,'' Toledo said, and I promise you, not a single person in the room broke out in laughter. ``I can't tell people what to say on the radio and on TV.

``You've got the pen, you've got the ink, you've got the microphone. But just do me a favor. Point out a lot of good things they do. That's all I ask, OK?''

OK, Hound Dog, read this ink: You don't get it.

When we bring up all these relatively minor points ... it's a compliment.

Try and think of it as a public service. When you're rolling as impressively as UCLA, and the most negative thing that can be dug up is Foster only rushed for 117 yards, this is some serious nit-picking.

This is a backhanded pat on the back. This is keeping the fangs sharp, just in case they're needed again.

Truth is, the Bruins did this to themselves. Impressive in all areas, followers are growing to expect the spectacular all the time. When it's only fair, it's a serious drop off.

Nobody gets it right every time. Francis Ford Coppola made ``The Godfather Part III.''

The Bruins set their own standard and what they're being measured against is greatness. You explain this to Toledo and he nods. Yep, a victim all right - a victim of their own success.

``I think that's what it is,'' he said. ``People start nit-picking because you're having success. You score 56 points, they have to find something to complain about. That's what bothers me about people being negative. Why can't they be more positive?''

We had to cut him off, what with Kleenex being in short supply in the press area.

Coaches find things to criticize their team about. The media does the same. When things are going this well, it's not time to hunker down into the protective mode.

The team is getting rave reviews, so don't sweat the small stuff. Really want something positive? The Bruins are being held to a higher standard because they're that good.

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Try and think of it as a public service. When you're rolling as impressively as UCLA, and the most negative thing that can be dug up is (DeShaun) Foster only rushed for 117 yards, this is some serious nitpicking.

Shaun Dyer/Special to the Daily News