Latu keeps making case to be high NFL draft pick
UCLA edge rusher Laiatu Latu continues to bolster his resume in what is likely his final year of college football.
Latu has met the standard placed upon him by football pundits as a potential firstround pick for the upcoming NFL draft in April.
He helped anchor an overall strong performance by the Bruins' defense on Saturday with three solo tackles and a sack on Washington State quarterback Cameron Ward in UCLA's 25-17 win.
Latu stated his goal at the start of the season was to finish with 15 sacks. He has five on the season.
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Saturday: UCLA at Oregon State, 5 p.m., Ch. 11
Ward and the Cougars entered the Rose Bowl as the No. 2-ranked passing attack in the nation, so the game plan for the Bruins was to make Ward as uncomfortable as possible.
Latu graded out with a 91.0 (with 100 being the highest score) on defense by Pro Football Focus and leads all edge rushers in the nation through Week 6 of the season with a 93.6. PFF grading takes into account the quality of plays made by a player.
Washington State tackle Esa Pole, Latu's primary assignment, graded out as a zero (the lowest possible score) as a pass blocker.
When Latu didn't get a hold of Ward, he was still applying pressure on the quarterback as he was credited with three quarterback hurries and creating opportunity for his defense.
Linebacker Darius Muasau and defensive lineman Gabriel Murphy each recorded a sack.
Latu (6-foot-5, 265 pounds) was voted by the Pac-12 Conference media as the defensive player of the week for his performance against Washington State. He was also voted as the conference's defensive lineman of the week.
Latu also created opportunities for his offense, on the play after his sack, he forced Washington State tight end Cameron Johnson to fumble after catching a 7-yard pass from Ward. Defensive lineman Keanu Williams recovered the fumble to put the UCLA offense back on the field. CORRECTING MISCUES » UCLA produced a successful outing on offense and defense against Washington State but the Bruins still have room for improvement after several mistakes surfaced on special teams.
R.J. Lopez missed a 47yard field goal attempt in the first quarter, missed an extrapoint in the second quarter and a 33-yard field goal try was blocked in the third.
“One of the holds wasn't great, but we'll get to the bottom of it,” UCLA coach Chip Kelly said Saturday. “Those first two sometimes it's just a miss.
“R.J. had been really really good, but we'll go over that and watch the film and correct it, so we're good.”
Kelly followed up on Monday after watching the film and clarified that the blocked kick was the result of a protection issue on one side but the team was able to correct it during the game and didn't have an issue thereafter.
He also said the Bruins need to be better with the “snap, hold and timing of the kick.”
Backup kicker Blake Glessner served as the new holder for Lopez's field goal attempts in place of redshirt junior Ethan Garbers.
“It's a lot more convenient for a punter or kicker to be the holder,” Kelly said. “I think everybody in the NFL does it that way. Just with the practice time that those guys have they can do a ton of work while we are in individual drills or when we're doing 7-on-7.”
Kelly also lauded Glessner as one of the better athletes on the team who could play wide receiver or defensive back if needed.