Moves that had once helped Atonio Mafi pester quarterbacks are now leaving only him frustrated.
“In high school, bull rush was easy, that was my go-to,” the UCLA true freshman defensive lineman said this week. “But in college everyone’s the same size, everyone’s been in the program and is more experienced, so bull rushing isn’t going to work as well.”
UCLA’s 13 sacks rank next-to-last in the Pac-12 Conference, ahead of only Oregon State (nine) and fewer than half of league-leading Washington State (27). The Bruins have regressed in recent weeks, logging only one sack over their last three games.