Back to the basics …

Jason Beauchamp

Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2009 | 10:35 a.m.

Looking back at last weekend ... The thing is, football, you can make it too complicated. It's a mental thing.

I just see it as I think that all of us just need to get back to football and the excitement of being able to play Division-I football. It's just a game. This is the same game me and you used to play in the back yard, throwing it around.

To the defense, I've been preaching that, telling guys that we have to play our game. We can't go out there and try to play someone else's game. Anytime you're playing someone else's game, you're going to be nervous. The whole thing is being comfortable. That's the most important part.

As for BYU coming to town this weekend, we're definitely excited, but I think that last game, it wasn't about how we just got beat. Hats off to Reno and their offense, but a lot of it was us beating ourselves.

We came in and watched film Sunday, and just a lot of people lost confidence. A lot of it was just people trying to make a play that's not there, or trying to help someone else, where it only takes one person to be out of their gap to spring a big play. Then the momentum changes.

Now I think that we're getting back to basics, and guys are feeling that they're comfortable, and that's the most important thing. We need to have good practices and make sure of what we're doing.

I sprained the MCL in my left knee on Saturday, but it's OK.

I might be the first player in a wheelchair out there, come Saturday, just throwing my body at someone. I'm not worried about it. I've got to play for myself, play for this team, and I'm ready to play, regardless of my knee or ankle.

It's getting better, and it'll take care of itself. With my adrenaline pumping, I'll be fine.

Looking back a bit at last year's last-second loss at BYU, it definitely sticks with us, because we know how good we can be, and that's what hurts — when we don't show it. The whole thing last year was I don't think we were used to being in that situation and we kind of surprised ourselves, as opposed to this year, when we'll be expecting to be in that position, expecting it to come down to the fourth quarter with BYU.

A lot of that is leadership. If we get into that situation, we can't be surprised.

Hope to see plenty of you out there at Sam Boyd Stadium on Saturday night.