The little things and the big picture

By Jason Beauchamp · October 22, 2008 · 2:43 AM

This Saturday, playing Air Force, it was a very unique game. They know how to use the weapons that they have. Once again, a heartbreaker much like the game we had at Colorado State. It reminds me a lot of that game because the score tells it all.

Once again, we showed signs of brightness and signs of winning the game, but when it came to crossing the T's and dotting the I's and completing things, it just didn't happen. There were many opportunities. Those little plays made all the difference. Those small points in the game would have made all the difference in the world.

Losing by one point is really difficult to grade on tape, and to really just change things and say 'Hey, we really need to change this and change that,' it's hard because we played a really good game. The difference is one play here, one play there, one big play on special teams, that's all the difference. That's a game we kind of let slip through our fingers and Air Force, all I've got to say, is I'm coming back next year, most of our team is coming back next year. And this is one of those games that will not be forgotten. We're going to take this game personally because it hurt us, and expect to see a great game next year.

On to BYU ...

Going onto playing BYU, the difficult part is that this Air Force game, if we expect to play with a team like BYU, we can't play like we've played these last couple weeks.

As many people know, we'll play with our opponents and a team like BYU. We always have a lot to prove, and we're always trying to out-compete our competitors, and especially someone like BYU. It's just another great opportunity to really prove to ourselves. Not taking anything away from the last games, those were big games that were lost and will effect us, but these next two games are so big and this week, this BYU game is so big.

If this is a game that's won, it could really change the perspective of the whole season. Really, guys would feel accomplished, sending the seniors off feeling great, putting them back on the pedestal and the whole team back in perspective. A couple of big-game winners like these next two games would be huge. And like I said about losing the Air Force game, you're coming back wanting things more. When you lose something or it's taken from you, it makes you want it so much more. And BYU's gonna be the same way we are, because they had that huge loss to TCU, and I know they're hungry. I know this week in practice they'll be executing. We're not only playing BYU, but we're going to be playing BYU at their best.

BYU should expect that UNLV is going to come there and we're going to play at our best, as well, because we have a chip on our shoulder now. A chip on your shoulder can be positive, as long as we use that in a positive manner, there's nothing wrong with having a chip on your shoulder.

BYU, they're gonna come out of the gates running hot, especially being home in Utah. They're gonna have a huge crowd, and really that works to both teams' advantage. It'll just be a great game. I know BYU in the past, every time we've played them in Utah, those guys are hungry and they want it. They really want to put on a show for their crowd.

From a defensive standpoint, they're a high-powered offense both in the run game and in the air. They will, from the type of athletes they have and their coaches and having a lot of older guys coming off their missions, have for years to come a really good program. They'll always be a force as far as collegiate football goes. We're looking forward to this game and that crowd and that environment.

In closing ...

Talking to the community and talking to the students, I just want to say don't give up hope. There's still plenty of games to play and the biggest games and the big surprises are yet to be seen. Not only is it to support your fellow students and guys that are trying to make a difference, but it's to support the coaches, too. We all need it. It's been a long haul for everybody. All we can do is improve one game to the next, put together a game plan and compete to put Las Vegas on the map, to be on the same level as our basketball team and really make some noise.

Remember, winning programs have all faced adversity, and that is what it takes to build a great program - Tough times and challenges that you rise to the occasion for.