INGLEWOOD, Calif. — UCLA head coach Chip Kelly said his search for a new defensive coordinator will begin once the Bruins get through the LA Bowl.

If the Bruins' 35-22 win over Boise State at SoFi Stadium was any indication, then the search may not have to leave the program's on-campus Wasserman Football Center.

UCLA's defense overcame the loss of defensive coordinator D'Anton Lynn, who left for rival USC, and the absence of unanimous All-American edge rusher Laiatu Latu, who skipped the game to prepare for the NFL draft, and it was acting coordinator Ikaika Malloe who kept the Bruins focused and prepared enough to withstand a shaky first half.

UCLA, which came into the contest with the nation's top run defense at 69.6 yards allowed per game, first looked every bit like a team without its top performer and the man mostly credited with the sudden turnaround from last season. Boise State ran for 126 first-half yards, in addition to avoiding a sack against a Bruins team that ranked sixth in the nation in the category.

Trailing 16-7 at the half, the Bruins' defense allowed just six more points and 130 total yards the rest of the way thanks to forcing punts on the Broncos' first five of six series after the break. The sacks and familiar havoc in the backfield materialized, too.

So, Bruin Blitz asked Kelly, what did Malloe show him as a possible viable candidate for the vacancy?

"Yeah, Ikaika did a great job," Kelly said, "and I think that entire defensive staff did."

Kelly then proceeded to spread the credit around for a staff that also had to replace quarterbacks coach Ryan Gunderson (new Oregon State offensive coordinator) and tight ends coach Jeff Faris (new Austin Peay head coach).

"Ikaika, Ken Norton Jr., Brian Norwood stepped up," Kelly said. "We had a chance to take two of our analysts because we lost three coaches. Clancy Pendergast did an unbelievable job, Greg Burns did an unbelievable job — that entire group. I think our coaching staff reflects our players. The old adage is: It's amazing what you can accomplish when you don't care who gets the credit. I think the entire defensive group put together a special game plan and I was really, really happy with how they did it."

Yet, it cannot be forgotten that it was Malloe, the defensive line/outside linebackers coach who joined the program in December 2021, who helped recruit Latu, fellow edge rushers Gabriel and Grayson Murphy and inside linebacker Darius Muasau — all via the transfer portal — to Westwood two years ago.