LOGAN, Utah - Utah State head football coach Matt Wells, along with senior wide receiver Andrew Rodriguez and senior linebacker Brock Carmen, held a press conference Monday to recap the Aggies' game against Air Force and preview their upcoming road game against Boise State. A complete transcript of the press conference can be found below.

Head Coach Matt Wells
On recapping the Air Force game:
"We did a good job in all three phases (offense, defense and special teams), but all three phases absolutely had a hand in losing it, too. Defensively, we played really well against the fullback and were finally able to somewhat contain (wide receiver Jalen) Robinette. He's a guy that had really hurt us the last couple of years. We were not as good in the red zone and they had three opportunities - one by a fumble, one by a fourth-down call late and then one by a kickoff return from the mid-30s in. They got two touchdowns and a field goal out of those. Offensively, we threw and caught the ball really well, as good as we have all year. (Quarterback) Kent (Myers) stood in there and competed. He made some really good competitive throws and our wideouts made some competitive catches, especially on third downs.

"We were excellent on third-and-long and were 50 percent (10-for-20) on third downs overall. We were really good in third-and-7-plus, but not as good in third-and-short situations. We didn't establish a running game, which is hard and it felt like we were running uphill against an extra hat in the box in almost every formation. Consequently, we threw the ball a lot more and those guys did a good job. We didn't protect Kent as well as I would've liked and he took a lot of hits, but he was really competitive and continued to compete. We were just okay on special teams, but we did not win overall on special teams. We were pretty good on punt return and A-Rod (Andrew Rodriguez) had a couple of good ones.

"It was a tough, hard-fought ballgame. It was back-and-forth and it's a close ballgame, then we fumble in the fourth quarter and they turn it into seven points for a two-score lead. We drove it down after that and put it within a touchdown, but couldn't execute an onside kick, or recover an onside kick, and that's the ballgame. Air Force is really good and it is a veteran team, but our guys competed right with them. We just didn't come out on top."

On previewing Boise State:
"This is a team that everybody knows I have a great deal of respect for. I've always said that the road through the Mountain Division goes through Boise State. Coach (Bryan) Harsin and his staff have continued to establish what Boise State is all about. He was also there as a player and then as an assistant, and had a huge hand in developing the culture of Boise State football. He's continued that at a high level since he becoming the head coach. I have a lot of respect for what they do. It's been consistent on both sides of the ball. They've had a little coordinator turnover, but you wouldn't know it because it's similar systems on both sides. Of course, he's involved with their offense and they did a good job. They have the same special teams coordinator and they did a really good job in all three phases. They wouldn't be ranked where they're ranked and they wouldn't have beaten two Pac-12 opponents if they're not that good.

"They are very good and probably feature the best quarterback (Brett Rypien) and tailback (Jeremy McNichols) we'll see all year. Rypien is accurate and has tremendous arm strength. He's got a lot of moxie and I assume he's pretty smart, and probably pretty fun to coach. (Thomas) Sperbeck is the player in the Mountain West Conference that doesn't get near enough credit. He does everything for them. He throws every trick pass and catches every trick pass that somebody else wants to throw. He's involved in everything and could probably be the backup quarterback. I love watching him play. It was fun to meet him this summer at the Mountain West Football Media Days. He's a good kid and I know he's fun to coach. They have a lot of tight ends that are strong and athletic, and very versatile. McNichols is in the same conversation as being one of the best running backs in this league.

"Defensively, (linebacker Tanner) Vallejo is everywhere. They have good corners and tall, rangy, athletic safeties. Ben Weaver has played there forever it seems. He's smart and you can't trick him. He stays in the box and does a nice job. They have a very solid, blue-collar, tough, really active defensive line. It goes in between three-down or four-down, and they move around a lot, which is very similar to our front. It's a huge test for us going on the road and playing Boise State. Our job is to get off the mat, to prepare for a game and get ready to go try to find a way to win on the road in this league. Every single week it's tough, but I'm encouraged by what I saw this morning and I'm encouraged by the players' attitudes. They laid it all on the line Saturday night emotionally and physically, and now we have to pick up the pieces and go back to work. I'm excited to see how we did that this week."

On if he has the opportunity to turn in plays that he has questions about:
"They always give me a response. They are very professional and very thorough, but you just don't get to go back and hit replay; you don't get to go back and re-do them. We turn them in and we get responses back."

On the particular plays against Air Force that were reviewed, but didn't turn out in the Aggies' favor:
"The plays that include a touchdown and points on the board and the plays that include a turnover, which is a fourth down if it gets overturned, are critical, critical, critical to the flow of a game. They should always be right by replay and I'll just leave it at that."

On players that stood out against Air Force:
"Andrew Rodriguez, Ron'Quavion Tarver and Kent Myers all played really well. Wyatt Houston played well. He didn't have very many catches on the stat sheet, but Air Force covered him pretty good, which I think was a big emphasis for them. Kent went where his reads went, so he did a good job there. Wyatt played a very solid game blocking and had that warrior mentality because he was kind of banged up the whole game, but he never was going to come out. Defensively, both inside linebackers played very well - the two that played the vast majority of this game, which was (Alex) Huerta and Anthony Williams. Those two guys played well. This is going to sound weird against an option team, but Jalen Davis played excellent in terms of defending, his eye control, forcing option and the things that he had to do from a corner position. He played excellent. G-Mac (Gasetoto) Schuster played his best game at nose guard. Travis (Seefeldt) also played well, but G-Mac played a few more snaps than usual. Derek Larsen flashed at times and Brock Carmen did a couple of good things."

On if the fact Boise State being tied for first in the nation in sacks per game presents a big challenge for the offensive line, especially with a few struggles they had against Air Force:
"Air Force brought seven, eight or nine guys, and if Boise State brings seven, eight or nine guys - I'll say it right to the camera because I know they are listening - then they're going to get to the quarterback. But, they're playing zero coverage, so they better cover the receivers. They know that and Air Force knew that. Sometimes it paid off and sometimes it didn't. Every defense knows that the more guys you bring, the less guys you have in the back end and you've got to be spot on in your coverage. That's a challenge for pass protection, but I think the big challenge with Boise State in pass protection is when they bring four or five men, because those guys can rush. They've got moves, they go from speed to power and they've got counter moves. With Boise, it's not about them trying to overload your protections. It's about winning the one-on-one battles and they've got excellent defenders on the edge to do that."

On if Boise State losing to a couple of Mountain West teams at home last year gives USU any added confidence:
"That should give them confidence to know that it has happened before, but it comes down to this week and it comes down to our preparation and the things that we do this week and how we're going to execute and play on Saturday. That's what it really comes down to."

On Ron'Quavion Tarver's big game against Air Force:
"He has certainly progressed as he's gotten game time. He's earned more reps and more time. He got in here in June as a junior college transfer. You just have to temper your expectations sometimes because coaches are so impatient. We want guys to be players right now and kids mature at a different pace. Sometimes when they mature quicker, the word surprise comes up, but I don't think that's an accurate word. Then sometimes when it's a little slower, the word disappointment comes up and I think that's an inaccurate word, too, because each kid matures at a different pace. Ron'quavion has made a tremendous amount of progress since training camp and you've seen a lot of progress from him just in four weeks. When you catch a couple of balls in the Coliseum against Southern Cal's defensive backs, then you gain some confidence and keep going week after week. That's something you've seen build up with him. He's got strong hands, he catches the ball away from his body and has the ability to high point a ball. He's a little bit faster than you think for a big 6-foot-5 kid. He fits in really well in this league and I've been happy with his progress."

Senior Wide Receiver Andrew Rodriguez
On the Air Force game:
"Air Force's defense was really physical. Early on we were able to make big plays and throughout the whole game we were able to make explosive plays. We couldn't capitalize when we got in the red zone. We struggled a little bit to run the ball. But overall, we hurt ourselves a lot in the game. I, personally, had a mistake late in the game that cost us."

On if it's harder to take the Air Force loss than the USC loss:
"Playing against a team like Air Force, a team we've played against and I'm familiarized with some of the guys they have back there, it's definitely a tougher loss. They're a Mountain West opponent, they're a really good team and it was a close game. We knew with the type of offense they run, they were going to hold the possession a lot. Our opportunities were limited, so it was definitely tough. It was tough on me and tough on all my brothers."

On if he had to play physical as a receiver:
"Yeah, all around. I realized it more when I watched film, but they're a tough team, they're fundamentally sound and they have a lot of smart players. I noticed on the film that even in the run game they were physical. It's definitely a learning experience for a lot of the wideouts and our offensive line and everyone."

On his overruled catch against Air Force:
"As a receiver, I'm going to say I caught it. I thought I caught it, too, but it happened really fast. I was able to watch the TV copy and have an idea from a better angle, but I still think I caught it. It's over with now and what I think doesn't matter."

On how much of a step forward was made in the passing game:
"We were able to get the ball a little bit more, which was nice. We knew they were going to blitz quite a bit and it opened us up quite a bit and we were able to make some plays. Kent (Myers) was under pressure quite a bit, but he was able to get us the ball a lot of time with a player in his face, so I commend him. It was nice. Obviously, as a receiver you love to get the ball, but ultimately the win is the most important part."

On bouncing back from a loss like Air Force:
"I would say just put your head down, don't worry about everything that's going around you like all the talk and people saying that was a tough loss or people pointing out certain problems on our team. Ultimately, you just have to focus on what you know and what you know you're good at. Just focusing on winning each day throughout the week and ultimately it will prepare you to play to the best of your ability on Saturday. You just can't focus on everyone around you, you just have to focus on your own stuff."

On if Boise State will be extra motivated to win against Utah State after losing last year:
"If we would've taken a loss to Boise State last year, I would take it personally. So, I would hope that they would, too. But any game, especially going there and playing them, it's going to be an interesting situation. It's going to be a privilege to play there and I hope it's going to be a great game. I'm anticipating it's going to be a physical game like last year."

On what comes to mind about last year's game against Boise State:
"I just remember early on we put the nail in the coffin. They had a lot of turnovers. I remember playing a lot of snaps in the first half. It was just like everything was going our way last year. We have to focus on doing what we do and everything else will fall into place."

On Boise State's secondary:
"They always have athletes. Last year they had a lot of athletes in the secondary and this year they do, too. In the secondary they have guys that can play for sure. But any game we're going to play this year they are going to have athletes on either side of the ball."

Senior Linebacker Brock Carmen:
On the Air Force game:
"As a defense, we battled hard and we played super hard. The effort was really good. Small mistakes that we made against a really disciplined and hard-nosed team like Air Force will get you beat. It's just little things not quite executing exactly the way we have to. The effort was good and our tenacity and our want to win was really good. It's just the little mistakes that will get you beat in a game like that."

On if the Air Force game was the best defensive performance USU has had against an FBS team this year:
"Yeah, it was definitely a good showing and we were fairly consistent throughout. We stopped the dive pretty well; they hit us on the edges a little with tosses and getting the pitches out there on the option. So yeah, that might've been consistently our best defensive performance, but it still wasn't where we thought it should've been. We're still not satisfied with that performance."

On giving up 213 rushing yards against Air Force:
"Obviously, they just run the ball, but we still wanted to hold them to 150 yards or less and we didn't do that. That was our goal going into it and we didn't do that, so we still definitely weren't happy with our performance as a whole as a defense."

On if Boise State might be the most balanced offensive team Utah State's played this season:
"Yeah, they are. They're very well balanced, they'll hit you on the ground, in the air, they can do a little bit of everything. That's definitely something where you've got to be on your toes and you can't just zone in on the run game like we did against Air Force. They're a complete team, so we've got to be ready for every aspect of the game."

On memories from last year's game against Boise State:
"There were a lot of turnovers. There was electricity in Maverik (Stadium) and a lot of momentum going our way, and once the ball got rolling it just didn't stop."

On Boise State quarterback Brett Rypien:
"He can throw it around and is a smart player. We just have to be ready and on top of our game. He's a good quarterback, so we definitely have to be ready to go come Saturday."

On confidence drawn from Boise State losing at home last year:
"You definitely can. They're not unbeatable at home by any means. We go into this just like any other game; it doesn't really change for us. Anytime we go into somebody else's house we expect to get the win. It doesn't change that much for us, but it definitely gives you a little glimpse of what it could be."

On how he responds from a tough loss like Air Force:
"You just put it behind you. It's only one loss. Obviously, we wanted that one badly. It's the first Mountain West game and you want to come out 1-0, but at the end of the day, it still is one game and there are seven more left in our conference schedule. It's about moving on and using it as a motivation and just working all through this week and trying to correct that on Saturday."

On if there's any question on how the linebackers can play:
"We're just getting more guys in there. Everybody's staying fresh and we're rotating and just getting the hot hand out there and seeing who can take that and run with it. I'm sure there are still questions, and the season's still young, but as a young linebacking corps we've played well. That was definitely a big question mark going into the season, but hopefully we've answered some of those questions."