UNLV senior linebacker/defensive end Jason Beauchamp
Story behind the name
I came up with this blog, The Day of Judgment, because I feel that in all the years I've been here, this year for coach Sanford, for the team, for the coaching staff, there is just no getting by or making it by the skin of the teeth. It's either do or don't. We need to draw a line in the sand and say "Look, we've had enough, and the time is now. We're done waiting, and there is no other time." Our backs are against the wall, and that's why I'm calling it The Day of Judgment.
I can't tell you what's going to happen in these next games or what the scores are going to be. All I can tell you is we need these games. And if we don't win these games, things will change, and there's no telling. No one wants to see our team fail, so our backs are against the wall, and how are we going to react to that?
Just a little intro
I'm Jason Beauchamp, No. 33. I play linebacker for the UNLV Rebels, and you'll see me playing a little bit of D-end this year as well.
I'm from San Diego, Calif., and I was first recruited in 2005 with Mike Sanford in his very first year. It's been a long run. As many people have seen from going to past UNLV games, it's been a tough road and we've taken our lumps. I feel that it's our time and that the team is ready for a transformation this year. I say this year just because those '05 freshmen are now seniors or redshirt juniors.
I'm a journalism/advertising major. I have a minor in marketing and I'm actually set to graduate this semester and will be pursuing a master's for my last year.
The fall ... so far
This year has started off pretty well. This camp, the coaches seem ready -- they seem different. They're scheming, using the players they've got and the skills they've got. They're using it well this year. I think that the playmakers and the players who have proven themselves are in a really good position this year.
The coaching staff is always being improved. As most of the community knows, we have a new defensive coordinator, Dennis Therrell, and he's throwing all kinds of blitzes. It's a fast-moving defense, keeping the offense guessing. The offense is going to have no idea. It's really nice for a linebacker like myself because I love running, I love blitzing, and it's nice to put pressure on the quarterback. And in this defense, it's no holds barred. We have D-linemen dropping, we have safety blitzes, and the defensive coordinator actually came from Auburn. It's the same type of defense that Auburn has run, and I like it. It fits the players we have here at UNLV.
Also, we lost a D-line coach who was a very good coach in Kurt Barber. I think they replaced him with an even better D-line coach: Andre Patterson. He coached in the NFL for I think 10 years, coaching for Dallas and plenty of teams. He really, really knows what he's talking about, and I know most people don't really understand how to watch the D-line, but with the stunts and the calls we have in the game this year with the D-line, it's gonna really pose a problem.
Year Three in Ely
We're comfortable going to Ely now, so it's not an eye-opener, it's not something brand new, so I think it helped that we all expected to go to Ely, and that we were all gonna take advantage of it being in Ely. This year, it was shorter, though we got way more done since it wasn't as much of a shock to us. We all understood what we were going up there for. We all understood why we were there.
Everything made sense this year. We're getting to love the town. The people know us by name now. The diner we eat at, it's just a lot more comfortable. The people on the team are closer and the people around us are closer -- from trainers to equipment men, to managers, everyone this year is kind of pitching in. Even in the town, at the hotel, everyone seemed like they were on board, they all embrace us, and it was a good thing.
Coming back from Ely, we tried to continue that bond, with offense and defense mixing it up a little bit. I think it's worked out. Even though there are a few distractions with school starting up and everyone moving into the dorms and moving around town, I think that Ely trip will play a big role in the success of the UNLV Rebels this year.
On to Week One
Utah State -- they're very worthy opponents. We've been watching film, and they have all kinds of returners coming back this year and had an offensive lineman go to the League last year. Utah State's looking good, and I think every time we play them for years to come, it'll almost be a rivalry game.
Last year (a 23-16 UNLV win) they came out and hit us in the mouth. It showed that we really wanted to play and really had something to prove, and this year's going to be no different. We did that to them in their home, and they're gonna be coming down here trying to do the same thing. I think the rivalry between Utah State and the UNLV Rebels is a big deal, and every time we play it's gonna be a good game.
This week's been running smoothly even though we've had a lot of distractions with school and everything. As long as we keep watching film, keep practicing hard, understand our roles on the team and keep that closeness -- and understand that every piece of the puzzle is needed -- we'll be successful this Saturday against Utah State.
In closing ...
This year, it's going to be really exciting to watch, and we really need the community to come out and support us. Be ready for this year and not just jump on board last second because this year's going to be a big year. This community, this is all we've got. There are no pros here, and this is our home. Las Vegas is our home no matter how different Las Vegas is. This is our home, and we need to establish Las Vegas as our home and our college town.
Check my blog out each week on www.lasvegassun.com for my in-depth perspective on UNLV football.