LOGAN, Utah - Utah State head football coach Matt Wells, along with junior running back Tonny Lindsey, Jr. and sophomore linebacker Derek Larsen, held a press conference Monday to recap the Aggies' game against Fresno State and preview their upcoming home game against San Diego State. A complete transcript of the press conference can be found below.

Head Coach Matt Wells
On recapping Fresno State:
"I was very proud of our guys, really, for the last two weeks of their preparation and the things that they did during the bye week. They did a really nice job of focusing on what we can do to improve and blocking out a lot of distractions. They played off of each other in the second half and gained some momentum, and finally did what we needed to do to win. Hopefully, we've learned from that and we gained some confidence through that because we are certainly going to need it down the stretch. It was a good team win and I'm happy for those guys in that locker room."

On previewing San Diego State:
"San Diego State is a big-time opponent. They've got a good season going right now. It's a good program and they've got a lot of momentum. This is a program that has won a lot of games since those early losses to California, South Alabama and Penn State last year. They have been a roll since then and when you go on a roll and you win games in different ways that they've won them, you gain a lot of confidence. Those guys in the San Diego State locker room have that right now and they're very confident in what they're doing. They are very well-coached in all three phases. I have got a lot of respect for their coaching staff. I coached for (SDSU head) coach (Rocky) Long for two years and learned a lot from him. He's been really good to me as a young coach and one member of their defensive staff played for us at New Mexico. I've also coached with a couple other members of that staff in Bobby Hauck, the special teams coordinator, and Jeff Horton, the offensive coordinator. I have got a lot of respect for those guys.

"They are very well coached and they know who they are, and they are not going to deviate from it. They are going to come in and try to impose their will on us and I know that. That is not a staff or a team that cares about tendencies. They are going to do what they do and they are going to do it very well and very efficient. I have much respect to them as a staff and as a program. We've got a big challenge on our hands and it's exciting to have them at home. Hopefully, we can get Maverik Stadium sold out and get our students back. I know they are well rested from fall break, so we're going to need them at full throttle on Friday night. We've got an early kickoff, so I'm excited about that. Hopefully, we can get a lot of people out to support the Aggies in a big game for us on Friday night."

On SDSU head coach Rocky Long saying it is an advantage to build football teams from the middle out, kind of like a baseball team:
"I totally agree with it and that's totally what they do. I learned some of that from coach Long coaching for him for two years. It is like a baseball team, you do build from the middle out - a strong center, a good quarterback, nose guard, middle linebackers, safeties. I look back at our teams here at Utah State and we've had a good core, and certainly they do at San Diego State with that center-guard combination and the tailback. I look at them on defense and the two inside linebackers and those three safeties - we're not even talking about (Damontae) Kazee, who is the best corner in the league. Coach Long has coached some good corners, too. We had some good corners at New Mexico when I was there and one of them is still in the NFL.

"They do, they build it from the inside out, but they also build their program with toughness. That's how he's got San Diego State winning ballgames. These guys are tough. You don't build toughness during the season. You do it during the offseason and during the summer. I can certainly see coach Long's thumbprint on that team and that program, just knowing what he's all about. That's why you see a consistent, good, tough, hard-nosed football team."

On USU also recruiting SDSU running back Rashaad Penny:
"We were heavily involved in recruiting Rashaad. He comes from a tremendous family and is a great young man. That one came down to the wire. We were knee deep into that one and sat in that living room and that school, and I would've liked to have had that one. He's a good player."

On recruiting to SDSU:
"They've done more than a decent job, they've done a nice job of cultivating a lot of those Southern California kids and being able to evaluate them. They get out and see them and do a lot of recruiting by car. Coach Long has done a nice job of getting a lot of those Southern California kids to stay home."

On what SDSU will do Friday night on offense:
"They are going to do what they do. Donnel Pumphrey is going to carry it an awful lot and Rashaad Penny is going to come in and carry it an awful lot. Nick Bawden is special. To play fullback and do what he does in that offense, he's really good."

On not turning the ball over and not allowing any sacks against Fresno State:
"It's really good. We have been very good on offense in terms of not turning the ball over, not throwing picks and being smart with the ball. Kent (Myers) has made good decisions and our running backs have done a nice job of securing the ball. With not giving up sacks, some of that is due to receivers getting open a little bit better and the quarterback throwing the ball away when it's not there and not taking a sack, and the quarterback being able to escape. We've done a nice job of not turning it over so far in the last few weeks, but we've got to get turnovers on defense. We haven't gotten any since Arkansas State, or we'd be one of the leaders in turnover margin because we're not turning it over on offense. We're just not getting any turnovers on defense."

On the vertical throws Kent Myers made against Fresno State:
"He was better. We're getting better on that, just spending more time on it with coach (Javon) Bouknight and coach Luke Wells. We've emphasized having better releases, more time by the offensive line, better timing by Kent and learning how much air to put on a ball and not. It's also wide receiver specific. You've got to know who you're throwing to and how they're being covered, so it changes the flight of the football a lot of times and I think we threw it a little bit better this week."

On the loss at SDSU last year:
"The biggest thing that comes to mind is they ran it down out throat. We couldn't stop the run and we couldn't run the ball on offense, which is two bad combinations. That's exactly what the Aztecs want to do. They want to stop the run and force you into being behind the chains and then they want to impose their will and run the football. We didn't have David Moala and we didn't have Ricky Ali'ifua in that game, and Hunter Sharp didn't practice all week. We were without some of our key players going into that game after kind of getting beat up in the Boise State game. That gets lost in it. Schemes are schemes, but players make schemes good. Some of the plays that didn't get made were being made before that last year and we didn't have the same guys in there. It was musical chairs on the defensive line that week and that's a bad week to have musical chairs on the D-line, trust me. That's what I remember. We didn't play well and they played really well."

On SDSU running back Donnel Pumphrey's skill set:
"When you look down and see the piece of paper that says he's 5-9 and 180, first of all, he is very durable. The amount of carries he's had and the amount of yards he's had over his career is incredible. He's very durable and he's very tough, and you see him run through tackles and accelerate through tackles. They fly him out of the backfield and use him in pass routes. He can catch a football. I just talked to four scouts here in the building this morning and asked them, `What do you think of San Diego State?' All they say is, `Number 19.' Scouts know about him and he is going to be a draft pick. My first-team all-Mountain West ballot for running back is filled out and it's him. He's a really good player."

On creating turnovers is still a big emphasis in practice:
"I've talked to a lot of coaches on what you do to emphasize turnovers and the resounding conclusion, or what I keep getting from guys that I ask that question to, is, `Matt, sometimes you get them in bunches and sometimes you don't.' What I'm talking about is there is not a magic turnover drill, there is not a magic turnover circuit that you can all of a sudden just snap your fingers on October 24 and let's roll with it in Monday's practice and the turnovers are going to come in bunches on Friday night. It's not happening. I believe in what we're doing from a turnover circuit and emphasis. We're talking about rips, strips and ball disruptions. We're talking about all that stuff and we do those drills. I've got to keep believing it's coming. You've got to get your hands up in the throwing line, you've got to get some tipped balls and those kind of things. We've got to continue to preach it and coach it, and hope and pray it starts coming. We're not coaching it any different than we did the Boise State week last year. We're doing everything we can and it sure is a major emphasis."

On the team's punting through the first seven games:
"It's been okay. Aaron (Dalton) has done a good job in the open field, but we have not done a very good job of trying to pin opponents deep when the ball is around the 50. We have got to do a better job of that. We're leaving them out at the 15- or 18-yard line, not like I think we're capable of doing."

On coming off a solid special teams performance against Fresno State:
"We gained a lot of confidence in special teams from last week. You look at San Diego State on special teams and it all starts with the coaching. I've got a lot of respect for coach (Bobby) Hauck and the things that they do. Those two return units are very driven by who is catching it, too. Players make plays and players win games. We've said that for a long time at Utah State and that certainly is the case when you look at their punt return unit and their kickoff return unit, and the guy that is toting the rock."

On sophomore linebacker Derek Larsen and junior running back Tonny Lindsey, Jr.:
"Derek has been a solid contributor. I wouldn't call it a surprise because I really thought he would be solid; he just hasn't had the opportunity until this year. He is solid against the run, he is getting better in his pass rush. He is a very good leader and was chosen to our captain's leadership council. He is a very good player, he cares and is a football junkie.

"Tonny Lindsey has played pretty consistent for the last month. He's run really hard and has taken some shots, but he runs with passion. He runs with good ball security and catches the ball well out of the backfield. He and Derek (Larsen) both do things right off the field, and that's a direct correlation to how they play on game day. They are very consistent in practice and they do a nice job on game day. It's a good carryover for them and I've been happy with both of those guys."

On Fresno State firing head coach Tim DeRuyter after the loss to Utah State:
"I have a lot of respect for coach DeRuyter. You guys already know we are good friends. This is the best profession out there and I'll argue that with anybody. Most of us are Type A personalities, so the competitive fire both in recruiting or football-wise drives us. The opportunity to mentor kids and see their development from young men to grown men, and see them graduate and have success playing football and what they can do for their lives and families, is tremendous in this profession. But, many times it can be a cruddy business and yesterday is one of them. It hits home for me because I just saw the guy not even 12 hours before from the time we walked off the field. I've been through it as an assistant and it's no fun because families are affected, assistant's families are affected and kids are affected. It's just so public, but we get it and we all understand that. Tim is a great man and he does it the right way."

Junior Running Back Tonny Lindsey, Jr.
On recapping Fresno State:
"I think this past week, we played very well for the most part. We started off good, and then at halftime, that was the big key of the game was coming out of halftime strong and finishing the game from there."

On how having no turnovers and no sacks allowed affected the offense's confidence:
"That's very good. We emphasized that all week in practice. We practiced hard, and it paid off in the game. I turned the ball over last week, and this week I made sure that wasn't going to happen. That was a plus for us."

On if he changed the way he runs after the rushing performances against Air Force and Boise State:
"Those two games, Air Force and Boise State, it was disappointing. Then, I talked to my brother, and he gave me a lot of motivational stuff. Then I had to get on the line and make sure they help me out, and I was able to produce and do stuff better the next games."

On if the offense as a whole took those games the same as he did:
"As a whole, yeah. I was rushing for maybe 20 yards a game. It was disappointing. Our goal was to make sure we get more than that. I have to run with anger, and the offensive line told me they had my back."

On San Diego State's defense:
"They're very physical up front. They have five defensive backs, so their safeties come up short. They're a good defense, overall."

On if it's exciting going up against Donnel Pumphrey, the leading rusher in the nation, as an opposing running back:
"It's always competition. I look at him and Jeremy McNichols up at Boise State. I always see how many yards they got, and I try to, not compare myself to them, but compete and try to get where they're at because those guys are really good."

On how it felt to come out and drive the ball in the second half against Fresno State compared to the last few games:
"It started with Coach Wells. All week he talked about our offense and defense coming out strong at halftime. We changed up practice a little bit, and we had our competition drills right after our applesauce break and stuff like that. So we were big on that, coming out of halftime and doing well."

On how the last few drives of the game were successful running:
"Coach Mike Canales, he told me, `Get ready, we're going to ride you this last drive.' I was like, `Alright, we'll go.'"

Sophomore Linebacker Derek Larsen
On recapping Fresno State:
"The game, I thought we played really well on defense. Coming into it, we knew we had to bounce back to what the Aggie defense is after the last three games. I thought previous to that, we had been playing solid defense, but we knew the second half, especially, is when we needed to play at our best. During the week, in practice, Coach Wells was putting a huge emphasis on coming out strong and holding their offense to minimal points and having our offense score more, which is what we did. I thought a lot of individual players had great games. Chase Christiansen and Ian Togiai had great games. All phases of the defense were playing really solid."

On how different players have led the team in tackles in each game:
"I feel like everyone is trying to fly around and get to the ball. Coach (Frank) Maile has put a huge emphasis on effort, trying to get to the ball and have everyone be in on the tackle. I think everyone is trying to get in on a piece of the tackle, and it shows every week that someone different is getting there and getting a piece of those tackles."

On an emphasis on trying to force turnovers:
"That's, I think, the biggest emphasis we're going to see from our coaches during the week is we have to get turnovers because I'm not sure how many games we're going on now where we haven't gotten turnovers. We're putting the emphasis in practice, but it's not translating over to game time. Coach Maile's been harping on that to try and strip the ball, try and get it out. Our safeties are going to be looking for those opportunities, too."

On how they will try to force turnovers:
"Have the first man get there, secure the tackle, and have anyone else coming after go straight for the ball and try to get it out. I think that's something that we think about, but we're not doing it all the time. That's a big emphasis for us this week, putting it into practice and doing it during the game."

On facing Donnel Pumphrey this week:
"It's nothing but respect for a running back that does that well. San Diego State, they run the ball really well. That's their bread and butter. Last year, we weren't able to stop that. I think they ran the ball 55 times against us. Coming into this season, one of our goals was to stop the run. Have a defense that can stop the run. This is going to be a test for us this week because San Diego State, that's what they do. I think, if we can all really focus in and being that defense that can stop the run, then it'll be a good test for us."

On Donnel Pumphrey's running style and SDSU's offensive line:
"Watching him on film, he can make something out of nothing. Their line is very physical and they have a physical fullback. That's what we need to come and do is out-physical them. We need to be the more physical them. We need to set that tone. That's something that we're really focusing on this week, being a physical team on the front seven."

On if there's a problem with missing tackles on this defense:
"I think there's always room to improve with it. But overall, I feel like if someone misses a tackle, there's someone behind them to finish the play off. Like I said earlier, there's always guys flying to the ball. You can see it on the film, there's always guys running to finish the play off. That's something we really need to emphasize this week, as well, coming up with the running back we're facing and the running team we're facing is everyone has to get to the ball."

On if the linebackers are playing in platoons:
"There's been rotations with it. A lot of guys are getting a lot of time. Anthony Williams, Brock (Carmen) is playing inside as well, Chase (Christiansen), Leki (Uasike) and Alex Huerta. Everyone's been playing really well at times, it's just how the rotation is going. I'm not sure how Coach (David) Kotulski wants to do things, but as long as we're getting out there and getting the tackles, that's all that matters."

On if he had a mentality as a walk-on of coming in and showing what he can do:
"That's exactly what I wanted to do. I saw first-hand with my brother (BJ Larsen), he was in the same situation. He walked on the team, earned a scholarship and ended up being a first-team all-Mountain West Conference player. I saw that, and saw it's possible, and I want to do the same thing. I wanted to come out, I wanted to continue playing football. That's why I walked on. I went goal-by-goal. I wanted to earn a scholarship, then earn playing time, then I wanted to start. I want to keep pushing myself forward."

On if he was a volleyball fan before he met his wife (current USU volleyball player) Maddie Day-Larsen: "I did not know much about volleyball until I met my wife, but I know a lot about it now. I'm definitely a volleyball fan now. They're doing great, she's doing really well. They're all playing great, a lot better than last year. They're doing really well."

On if he knew her in high school:
"I didn't. Her dad was my assistant basketball coach in high school. I didn't put the two together. I met her up here at college, and kind of put the puzzle together. It's kind of funny."