UNLV could be without two key starters for Saturday night’s game with Oregon State. Here’s a link to the story on www.rebelnation.net.

http://tinyurl.com/lfjc5v

All-MWC linebacker Jason Beauchamp (33) will also line up some plays at defensive end this season. (Photo by Steve Guiremand)

While growing up near San Diego, it was only natural that one of Jason Beauchamp’s idols would be Chargers linebacker Junior Seau.

“I watched him every Sunday,” Beauchamp, a first team all-Mountain West Conference linebacker, said. “We’d even go to his restaurant on Sundays and watch his games. … It was a great time to grow up and watch Junior Seau.”

This season the 6-foot-3, 240-pound Beauchamp, who led the MWC with 127 tackles as a junior, will get his chance to do his very best Junior Seau imitation. He’ll line up anywhere from several linebacker spots to both defensive end positions. You can also expect to see him moving around looking for a gap to shoot in his quest to sack the opposing quarterback.

It’s all part of Mike Sanford’s master plan to bring some pass-rushing punch to a defense that garnered a woeful 11 sacks a year ago.

Jason Beauchamp

“I would say Jason is going to be a little more of a hybrid guy this year,” Sanford said. “He is a linebacker and he’ll play linebacker but he’ll also play some defensive end. He’s going to play both positions. He’s a good pass rusher and we want to utilize that in some situations.”

Sanford, an assistant coach at USC when Seau played — current UNLV offensive line coach Gary Bernardi actually recruited Seau to Troy — said Beauchamp will utilized in many of the same ways of the future NFL Hall of Famer was.

“Obviously Junior Seau is going to be in the NFL Hall of Fame and was a tremendous player,” Sanford said. “But that’s the type of hybrid player that Jason has a chance to be for us.”

So what does Beauchamp think of his new responsibilities?

“It’s different,” he said. “I think the key for me is to just understand what the coaches are doing and believe in what they’re doing. If I do what they say, everything will happen as planned.

“I love linebacker. I’m a natural. It’s all I’ve played all my life. This is something new. I’m ready to learn. And this will show my versatility. It will challenge teams that we play. It will be one more thing they have to study up for. I don’t have the type of freedom that Junior had but I’m definitely going to put stress on some opposing tackles like Junior did. It’s a great opportunity. I’m blessed to be in this situation.”

Sanford believes Beauchamp has done a nice job in fall camp of learning his new responsibilities.

“He’s doing a really good job,” Sanford said. “Along with being better in the secondary in pass coverage, we’ve got to improve our pass rush this year. And Jason gives us an element of speed and quickness coming off the edge. And he’s a good pass rusher. It’s something we need.”

CAMP NOTES: UNLV held its final practice in full gear at Broadbent Park this morning. The team has one more workout in helmets and shorts tonight before busing back to Las Vegas on Thursday morning. The team returns to Rebel Park for practice on Friday night. …

Star of the final morning workout was junior corner Mike Grant who had an interception and twice stopped Phillip Payne on end zone routes. “A great day,” Sanford said. “He’s very competitive and doing a very good job. He’s getting better and better. He’s one of the reasons it’s harder to throw on our defense.” …

Tailback C.J. Cox (left hamstring) took part in the first 80 minutes of practice but had to shut it down when he began to start feeling some pain again. “Everything else was fine,” Cox said. “I was feeling pretty good. But then I was running an out route and I started to feel it a little bit. It was starting to get fatigued so I stopped.” Cox hopes to be able to return and take part in 75-percent of the drills in practice on Friday night. …

Kicker Ben Jaekle (back surgery) did some kickoffs for the first time this fall and reported no problems.