UCLA receiver Jordan Lasley is his own worst critic

Jordan Lasley jotted down some notes and brought them along to the UCLA receivers meeting Monday.

Keep ball leverage. Play harder. Finish plays. Catch everything that comes my way.

It was a lengthy to-do list for someone who had caught five passes for a team-high 105 yards and returned a blocked punt for a touchdown two days earlier during the Bruins’ victory over Oregon State.

“He could have very easily come out of that game and said, ‘Boy, I played great, I made a lot of plays,’ ” Coach Jim Mora said of the redshirt sophomore, “but instead he’s very critical of himself and I think that’s going to help him get better.”

Lasley was displeased primarily because he fumbled after making a short catch midway through the third quarter. Oregon State’s Manase Hungalu picked up the ball and returned it 40 yards for a touchdown.

When Mora tried to congratulate Lasley on a good game after UCLA ultimately prevailed, Lasley told his coach he should have finished better after a strong first half.

“Our biggest thing is to protect the ball, protect our yards,” Lasley said, “so you can’t fumble the ball in key moments like that.”

The numbers provided no consolation for Lasley, who has logged at least 100 yards receiving in two of the Bruins’ last three games, including a career-high 117 yards against Utah on Oct. 22. He has caught 34 passes for 475 yards and three touchdowns overall after catching only three passes last season.

Lasley wants more. He said he needed to block better so he could impact plays even when he’s not touching the ball. He also spent about 20 minutes after practice Tuesday working on his hands by catching footballs launched out of a machine.

It’s all part of Lasley’s desire to decrease the burden on his teammates and maybe practice his penmanship a little less.

“He’s growing up, he’s maturing, he’s practicing harder, he’s taking the coaching, he just has a more mature feeling about him and that’s what you look for,” Mora said. “It just happens at different times for different guys, but it’s great that it’s happening for him right now.”

A rude welcome

UCLA defensive coordinator Tom Bradley has spent most of his life in Pennsylvania but might feel like a Southern California native when it comes to the Bruins’ rivalry game with USC. A Trojans fan yelled at Bradley on Tuesday while he was getting back into his car after going out for coffee.

“He kind of knows me because I see him all the time down there and he took a little swipe at me,” Bradley said.

Did Bradley say anything back?

“No, no, no. I don’t respond,” Bradley said. “I just mind my own business, kept going. I just waved, was nice, went the nice routine.”

Rivalry week also causes some tension inside the home of UCLA offensive coordinator Kennedy Polamalu, a former Trojans fullback, because his wife graduated from UCLA.

“She always teases me this time of year,” Polamalu said. “I think she kicks me out of the room too.”

Ready for more?

Polamalu said sophomore Bolu Olorunfunmi and freshmen Jalen Starks and Brandon Stephens made “a strong case” for more carries among the tailbacks after coaches reviewed footage of the Oregon State game.

“But like I told them,” Polamalu said, “it’s about being consistent and competing and having that mindset because the other guys are not going to let it go.”

Polamalu said some consistency on the offensive line also helped the Bruins rush for 163 yards against the Beavers, their second-highest total of the season.

“Continuity of being around each other and getting the same plays called, the simplicities of having the fronts called that they now understand their technique,” Polamalu said. “It’s fun to see.”

Mystery man

A no-name player blocked a punt for UCLA against the Beavers. Defensive back DeChaun Holiday made the play that resulted in Lasley’s touchdown while wearing a No. 37 jersey without a name across the back. Holiday wears No. 17 on defense but cannot wear the number on special teams because it belongs to kicker J.J. Molson, so he slips on an alternate jersey.

ben.bolch@latimes.com

Twitter: @latbbolch