By Jason Beauchamp · December 19, 2008 · 1:14 AM

Looking back ...

The last game of the season at San Diego State was very disappointing. It had been a long, long season, and we had a lot of guys banged up. Physically and mentally, it was a very long season. I give it to San Diego State. Those guys, they really wanted to have a great game to end their season, just something to build on.

They had only one win, and it reminded me of where we were a couple of years ago, going into our last game of the season against Air Force, where they were in the same position we were this year.

I guess we had never been in that position before, and obviously there's a lesson to be learned. You can't underestimate anybody, and every team in the Mountain West should be respected. Any Saturday, any team can come out and have a good game and beat the next team.

It was a bunch of little things that lost that game for us.

One was Frank Summers going out right away, and I think he played two plays, maybe. It kind of gets people questioning things, or thinking: "All right, we don't have him, our backs are against the wall, we need to do this." Sort of panicking when that's really not needed.

And the same on defense. That quarterback and their receivers were good. I'll give it to them. They had height, they had speed, they were an athletic group. We underestimated them, and it seemed like every time they got a first down or scored, everyone kind of questioned each other like: "Man, this is San Diego State."

You can never win games when you're questioning or fighting against each other. The fights out there on the field, the one person we should be taking it to, we're not. We're looking at each other, and reminding ourselves: "Oh, this is San Diego State."

That's a horrible way to think about it and a horrible way to look at other teams, but the truth is that you just seem to do that. When you hear about another team's record or you see something on film, you jump to conclusions, assumptions about exactly how the game's gonna go when they play. That's something we've got to get away from after our first time in that position, as far as beating the team that's supposed to win.

I guess as we become an older team, a wiser team, we'll be able to deal with success, because we had some success this year, but there was plenty more success to be taken as far as one game here, one point, one score here being the difference between a win and a loss.

I think a lot of that just comes with experience. The same thing with injuries and being that it's a long season. We need to get to a point at UNLV where we owe ourselves. We need to be thinking "Hey, it's been a long season, we owe ourselves a bowl game," instead of going out there like "Hey, it's been a long season, lets throw in the towel."

All of that is possible. Once we understand that, it'll be that much easier. Because when I look back at the San Diego State game, they played a great game, but we beat ourselves in that game. We took ourselves out of that game early. We didn't do anything. Wd didn't react. It was like we were all right with them winning.

On to what I'm up to now ...

I'm in the middle of an internship with ESPN Regional and the Las Vegas Bowl. I wish more guys on my team could really understand what goes into a bowl game and how nice it is and all the presents and things you get. Instead of being this hard work, exhausting training thing, it's more of a celebration. I wish guys could really see it, just how much goes into these bowl games.

This internship has really given me a chance to see what all goes into it, as far as helping the school out and extra money here and sponsors, There's so much to a bowl game that I never knew, and I wish other guys on my team got a chance to see this early.

I know for a fact that if I was to see this my freshman, sophomore year, it would give me that much more determination to make it to a bowl game.

Now, looking ahead ...

The great thing about this year is we made progress, and with coach Sanford getting his extension, I think that was a very smart choice.

We have over 20 of the guys that he originally recruited as seniors this next year. That's gonna make all the difference in the world. He should be able to see what comes out of all of this. He deserves the outcome and what all's gonna be done next year, because he's been through a lot of losing seasons. He deserves it.

Mike Hamrick and everyone, I take my hat off to those guys. I think they made the right choice, because as a player, it's hard to get used to a new system, hard to get used to a new coach. It's hard to deal with. I'm just thankful that he's got an extension and that he's coming back.

Talking a little bit more about next year, as far as starting postiions, guys coming back, all of the MVP awards at our banquet went to underclassmen.

It should make a lot of people excited. Seeing those teams we played against, where we lost by a touchdown or in last-second situations, next year should be totally different. I know a lot teams are losing guys.

We're losing guys, too. We had a lot of great senior leadership. But we do have a lot of key players at key positions coming back for this next year. I'm excited about it, and I'll be a senior, in a position to lead. I led this year, but I think '09 will really set the stage as far as the ultimate change around.

We made a lot of progress, but I think '09 will be our year. Being that I'll be a senior with Ryan Wolfe, Rodelin Anthony, we have a lot of guys in key positiions that will be seniors now.

I'll be back to talk to you guys at some point in the near future, and I'll be doing this again next season.

Signing off, this is Jason Beauchamp.