While the headliner of UCLA’s defense, unanimous All-American edge rusher Laiatu Latu, has opted to skip Saturday’s contest against Boise State in the LA Bowl, Bruins assistant coach Ikaika Malloe has a plethora of other available bodies looking to show its talent goes beyond just one standout player.

The idea: “Finish the way we started.”

“I think everybody’s excited about it,” Malloe, the defensive line/outside linebackers coach who will call the plays, said Thursday in a virtual conference call with the media.

“I think us, as a whole, the defense as a whole, we run through each other. So I don’t think the mindset has changed.”

Malloe’s appointment to handle the play-calling was a result of defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn leaving to take the same job at rival USC after the end of the regular season.

Malloe said the shift in duties should be “easy” given the “wisdom” of the assistants around him who have previous coordinator experience including inside linebackers coach Ken Norton Jr., safeties coach Brian Norwood and defensive analyst Clancy Pendergast.

Latu, the Pac-12 defensive player of the year and Lombardi Award winner who leads the nation with 21 1/2 tackles for a loss and a team-high 13 sacks, was the key cog for a vastly improved defense that leads the nation in fewest yards rushing allowed per game (69.6) and rushing touchdowns allowed (3), ranks third in TFLs (99) and sixth in sacks (41).

“We really celebrate together,” Malloe said, “and at this moment, Laiatu’s getting a lot of accolades but it’s just a reflection of what all of these young men have been doing on defense.”