Way back in 2005, the Bruins’ defense was about as soft as a down blanket.
The unit gave up over 468 yards per game, 34 points per game and six yards per play, including an embarrassing 66-19 loss to USC.
Then defensive coordinator DeWayne Walker came to Westwood and suddenly the same UCLA defense looked like California’s version of the Steel Curtain.
Led by the suffocating defensive line this past season, the unit became one of the most feared in the Pac-10 almost overnight.
Although nobody anticipated the Bruin defense becoming one of the best in the nation, no player exhibited as dramatic a turnaround as defensive end Bruce Davis.
Davis, who recorded only two sacks in the 2005 season, was the one of the biggest reasons for the Bruins’ success this past season. The redshirt junior recorded 12.5 sacks, tying for the conference lead with teammate Justin Hickman, but Davis’ impact on defense was greater than the numbers show.
All season long, Davis and Co. made it a point to make their presence known on the field.
With Walker and new defensive line coach Todd Howard, the speedy Davis picked up the technique and the know-how to wreak havoc, despite matching up against linemen who outweigh the former safety recruit by a hefty amount.
“Everybody I play is going to outweigh me by 70, 80 or even 90 pounds,” Davis said in October. “(Howard) tells us that if you use technique it’s not going to matter.
“Every week, they’re all big. They’re all 300-pounders. I look at a couple of the guys (I’m playing against) and it’s like, “˜You’re big, but you’re slow.'”
That mentality paid huge dividends this season as he earned two first-team All-American selections from Sports Illustrated and College Football News and has become a leader not only for the defense but for the whole team.
And with 10 returning starters on the defensive side of the ball, Davis is expecting nothing less than greatness out of the team in 2007.