Notebook | Freshman WR Cody Bruns works to get on field

Washington freshman receiver Cody Bruns, no longer wearing a figurative redshirt, was also without a literal one during Tuesday's practice.

Injured players often wear red jerseys in practice, signifying they are off-limits to contact.

But the Prosser High grad was in full pads and running through drills in the 25 minutes of practice open to the media on Tuesday, indicating he is on the road to recovery from a hamstring injury that held him out of Saturday's game against Oregon State.

When Bruns sat out against the Beavers, it raised even more questions about the team's decision to take him off redshirt status against Arizona on Oct. 4. He saw only three plays against the Wildcats.

But UW offensive coordinator Tim Lappano said the plan all along was for Bruns to see significant action against OSU, before he pulled his hamstring in practice.

"He will go this week," Lappano said. "I've talked to him and he wants to give it a go and whatever happens, happens. If he pulls that thing, then he pulls it and he's going to miss more time."

Lappano said Bruns didn't play against Oregon State because the Huskies didn't want to risk an injury that would keep him out longer.

"If we put him in there and he pulls it again, now we are going to lose him for four, five weeks and it's too bad for the kid.

"Trust me, he's a great kid and the last thing we want to do is mess with [him]. That's not the idea. The idea is to put it on ice [last] weekend and get the rest of the season out of him. Hopefully he has a good day today and that thing doesn't blow up."

Taking the blame

Lappano took the blame for a delay-of-game penalty on the first snap of the OSU contest.

"I'll take full responsibility for it," he said. "That's Ronnie's [quarterback Ronnie Fouch] and my job. Number one, we script the first 15 plays of every game. We rehearse them on Friday night. We have everybody on the sideline. And as soon as they kick the ball off we gave the play on the sideline and went out. It's my job and all the coaches' jobs if they are not getting up to the line fast enough, we've got to see that, yell at them. And Ronnie has to see the clock."

Asked if Fouch lost track of the clock, Lappano said: "Well, something [happened]. But I'll take full responsibility on that."

Notes

• TB David Freeman was also back in full pads and practicing Tuesday. He hasn't played since the Stanford game Sept. 27 with sore ankles.

Bob Condotta: 206-515-5699 or bcondotta@seattletimes.com