WR Beaux Collins Embracing Fresh Start at Notre Dame
Beaux Collins is no stranger to big games.
The 6-foot-3 receiver played in several primetime games during his three-year stop at Clemson, so Saturday’s game at Texas A&M wasn’t anything new.
Collins recorded five catches for 62 yards in his debut for the Irish and it’s easy to tell the California native is starting to get comfortable around Notre Dame, which includes his new surroundings.
“Coming into a new environment is always refreshing,” stated Collins. “You get to meet new people, all that jazz. Having a reset on my environment and the coaches that I’m around, it’s an experience of its own. Can’t really explain it.”
Notre Dame offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock got Collins the ball in various ways against the Aggies as he caught screens and 50-50 balls, while also showing up in the run game.
“I haven’t gotten touches like that in a minute,” smiled Collins. “Catching screens, helping my team out in any way possible to get first downs. It’s definitely a confidence boost knowing my coaches trust me, the QB trusts me and things like that.”
The biggest play was Collins coming down on the sideline with a 50-50 ball from Riley Leonard late in the fourth quarter. It was a play that gave Notre Dame momentum and confidence at a point when the game was very much in the balance.
Collins also had a learning moment quickly following the play as he let his emotions get the best of him as he shoved the Aggies cornerback. There wasn’t a flag thrown, but one could have easily come and the savvy veteran vowed he won’t put himself or his team in that position again.
“We were jawing back and forth throughout the entire game,” explained Collins. “It was kind of an out-of-body experience, but it can’t happen again. It almost cost us big time. It was just in the moment, made a catch that I knew I should have made and just kind of let it all loose. Coach (Marcus) Free and Coach (Mike) Brown got on me afterward, but it’s a good learning experience for sure. I let the environment get the best of me for a sec.”
And Freeman’s words carry weight. He played the college game, but he also made sure each player knew he will go to bat for them.
“One thing for sure is he has our back,” said Collins. “He talked about before the game, College Game Day, everybody picked against us, things like that. He just let us know all the work we put in is not going to go to waste. He believes in us. He has our back 100 percent. That’s really all you need from a head coach.”
The entire Notre Dame staff is also making their presence felt with Collins as there has been an emphasis on focus, which has led to Collins and his teammates becoming more confident.
“They’re bringing out ultimate confidence,” Collins explained. “We may make mistakes, whether that’s in practice or the game, but they’re like, ‘I got you.’ Coach Free always focuses on ‘reload.’ That’s really stuck with me. He emphasizes it more than any coach I’ve ever heard.
“You’re going to mess up, or you may have a great play one play, but the next play is all that matters. That’s followed me in every aspect of my life. What’s the next move? How can I learn from what just happened? Take a deep breath.”
Collins has also experienced what a big win can do for a program, but it still comes back to focusing on the task at hand as the Irish want to avoid a letdown game against a pesky Northern Illinois team.
“It can turn a lot of things around as far as how we look at the season and how we prepare for each game,” said Collins. “Games like that, especially road games, Texas A&M is the hardest place to play in the country. Things like that are major confidence boosts for the entire team, the young guys and it makes us come to work even harder.”
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