Pac-12 Week 4 Awards: Laiatu Latu Wins Defensive Player of the Week
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For the first time in four years, the Bruins had the conference's top standout on the defensive side of the ball.
The Pac-12 announced its weekly honors Monday, and UCLA football (4-0, 1-0 Pac-12) defensive end Laiatu Latu won the Defensive Player of the Week award following his performance in the win over Colorado on Saturday. Running back Zach Charbonnet was listed as a candidate for Offensive Player of the Week, but he was beat out by Cal freshman Jaydn Ott.
As for Latu, his career-high 3.0 sacks against the Buffaloes helped his disruptive performance stand out on the stat sheet. Latu totaled four tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, one forced fumble and a pass breakup in addition to his sacks.
The fumble Latu forced Saturday came on a strip sack that led to UCLA points, only bolstering their push for a blowout in the second half. The pass that Latu swatted down at the line – and nearly picked off – was immediately followed up by another one of his sacks on the next play.
The Washington transfer, who was forced into medical retirement while a member of the Huskies, is now leading the Pac-12 with 5.0 sacks so far on the season. His two forced fumbles also have him in a tie atop the conference leaderboards.
Latu became the first Bruin to win Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Week since edge rusher Keisean Lucier-South won it all the way back in Week 7 of the 2018 campaign.
Despite winning the overall defensive player of the week award, Latu only finished an a nominee for Pac-12 Defensive Lineman of the Week. Latu lost that honor to Oregon's Mase Funa Jr., who recorded a game-winning pick six late in the Ducks' comeback victory over Washington State.
Latu came to Westwood as an outside linebacker, and he has been utilized mostly as a defensive end so far in 2022. However, with the Bruins losing interior defensive linemen Martin Andrus Jr., Gary Smith III and Jay Toia to injuries he past two weeks, Latu could serve a more multiple role and line up all over the Bruins' defensive front to ease the depth concerns.
This marks the second time UCLA has had a player win an individual weekly honor this season, with kicker/punter Nicholas Barr-Mira taking home Pac-12 Special Teams Player of the Week following the 32-31 win over South Alabama on Sept. 17.
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