LOGAN, Utah - Utah State head football coach Matt Wells, along with special teams coordinator/running backs coach Mark Tommerdahl, held a press conference Monday to recap the Aggies' 28-23 loss to Wyoming and preview their upcoming Mountain West road game against UNLV. A complete transcript of the press conference can be found below.

Head Coach Matt Wells
On the Wyoming game:
"That was our first close game of the year. Unfortunately, we weren't able to win it. We put ourselves in a position to win the game in the fourth quarter, and couldn't do it on either side of the ball. We played well enough defensively to win, for most of the game, yet even saying that, we had two opportunities, two drives in the fourth quarter, that Wyoming scored 10 points - a field goal and a touchdown. We didn't finish the game on defense. Offensively, I thought we played well in the second quarter, and moved the ball. We kind of got some rhythm and excitement going. Then, that was about it. We had a drive in the second half when Kent (Myers) came back in, and that was it. Special teams played well, and really has played well all season. The execution of a fake field goal for a touchdown, at the time, was a big momentum swing for us and a boost. It was well-executed by those kids on that field goal unit. I thought we limited both of their returners. That was a major concern of ours the entire last week, was their punt returner and their kickoff returner, who are nationally ranked in both of those, and had a lot of success coming into the game. We basically limited those guys with our punt game and our kickoff cover team. It was a good job in the special teams. When you get to a game like that in the fourth quarter, we had four opportunities to win, and we went 0-for-4. That's it. The offense had a three-and-out, then a turnover. Defensively, we gave up 10 points, and did not win the fourth quarter. That's an opportunity that is now lost. It's over. You can't do anything about it. We have to learn from it and hopefully we get another close situation, which we probably will. We have to understand that the time is now to make a play and do that."

On previewing UNLV:
"This is a team that the first thing that jumps out at you are the guys on offense. The quarterback, (Armani) Rogers, the tailback and wide receiver, they are all three very talented. I haven't watched enough tape on them yet, but I know all about (Devonte) Boyd, especially when he was young and we played against him. He's one of the best receivers in the whole league. The QB is long and athletic and really talented. I know you don't want to let him get outside the pocket. So, it's a talented team right there on offense, and I think defensively, they've played pretty stingy. They played San Diego State really strong. (Rashaad) Penny had a couple long runs on them late to pull away, but I thought they had a good game plan against San Diego State and played them well. I'm looking forward to that game on Saturday. Hopefully, it's a chance to get out and get this taste out of our mouth."

On the blocking on the fake field goal touchdown:
"It wasn't perfect, but it was good enough. They gave us the look we thought they were going to give us. They didn't react to the fake the way we thought they were going to react. I thought our guys did a nice. That was Carson Terrell, it was Moroni Iniguez, Dax Raymond and Viliamu McMoore. They were the guys over there on that side blocking. Then, DJ (Nelson) certainly ran it in and did a nice job. I thought our players reacted well to it."

On Dominik Eberle's work ethic:
"I don't know about above-and-beyond, but he's certainly a tremendous worker. He puts time in. He does a lot of mental imagery. The mental side to kicking is often overlooked, and maybe even under-appreciated, but it takes time. There's only so much kicking you can do before your leg falls off. He works hard. All of our kickers work hard. Coach (Mark) Tommerdahl has helped instill a strong work ethic. They take parts of practice off and then stay late. They don't necessarily kick longer than we practice, but it's just at different times. They're a very unselfish and hard-working group, and a group that has performed well this season."

On evaluating the quarterbacks' performances on tape:
"Kent played okay in the first quarter. The plan was to go with Jordan (Love) at the beginning of the second quarter, and he played well. We were actually starting to get some momentum, so I made the call for Jordan to finish the second quarter. As with any young quarterback, there will be some growing pains. Certainly, those interceptions, not the decisions, but the interceptions, you have to work through and learn from. Two of them were scheme things that he hadn't seen ever. I remember seeing them for the first time as a young QB, as well. It's a really good scheme, and they got us. One of them, he got a little antsy and quick with his feet and had a throw that was off target to Carson. It was tipped and the guy made a great play. Kent gave us the best chance at the end to regain momentum. He probably had his best drive of the game right when he came in, so credit to him for handling that situation like a pro. It's not easy to get pulled out, whether you're a QB or a D-lineman. I've seen D-linemen struggle with that before. It's a little more common at other positions. Kent handled it really well, and we had a good drive when he came back in off that. Moving forward, that's something we have to evaluate, which quarterback gives us the best chance to win. We have to evaluate playing both of them, playing one of them, sticking with Kent, moving on to Jordan, or playing them as a combination. We'll make that decision moving forward."

On evaluating the fumbles on tape:
"Well, the first fumble is a contact fumble with a true freshman getting his first real carry. He had tremendous ball security, they put a helmet right on it and it came out. LaJuan (Hunt) had good ball security in terms of the technique. Not much more you can teach. Not one time have we sat here for four years and talked about LaJuan Hunt coughing the ball up. He doesn't do it. He hasn't done it. It's killing him. I feel bad for him. He'll move on and we'll move on. If we're in that same situation again, you're probably going to see LaJuan again because I trust him with the football."

On if he's ever had an approach in his coaching career that a two-quarterback system doesn't work:
"I don't know if I'd be okay with it if it wasn't working. I'm for winning a game. I'm for playing the guy who either gives us the best chance or is hot at the time. If sticking with the same guy means you're consistent as a coach and `it's my philosophy,' and it's not working, then that's called insanity. We've played a couple guys before. At times it has worked and at times it hasn't. Sticking with the same guy the whole time has worked and sometimes it doesn't. It's not the philosophy to me, it's the players. The players will decide who plays. We're going to decide initially, but the players are going to decide at every position, not just at quarterback, who plays the most and who plays continually."

On if this is the most unpredictable the Mountain West has been since Utah State joined the league:
"Probably. I said this in July, and you all didn't believe me. I told you all that on any given week, anybody can win. We're 1-2 right now in the league, and I think we could very easily be 3-0, we could be 2-1, we could be better. It's unpredictable because there are good teams, and there are good coaches. Every week, there is competition. Look at the UNLV and Air Force game last week. Look at the craziness of the flip of that score and the flip of that game. How does Air Force win committing five turnovers? They messed up a field goal, I think they missed a field goal, and snapped one over the holder's head. You don't win many games like that. How does that happen?"

On how he thinks UNLV will react to that loss:
"That's an emotional roller coaster for a team to go through. To have that big of a lead, lose it and try to get it back. At the end, you think you have it back and Air Force scores at the end to win the game. What an emotional game for Air Force to win coming off an emotional loss against the Naval Academy the week before. There are some emotional swings. We've certainly gone through ours. Other teams are. I can't predict how Vegas feels, but I know that's hard. That drains you."

On UNLV also having a player named Dalton Baker:
"I noticed that last night. On the lighter side, there are a handful of good look-a-likes on their team and our team. We went through that a little bit late last night, and I did notice the similarity in the name."

On Armani Rogers as a quarterback:
"He can throw it; he's got a hose. He's tall and strong. I see guys slide off of him kind of like what we did to Josh Allen on Saturday. I saw our guys sliding. Josh Allen is so strong, his lower body. His throws are strong, and he's athletic. Rogers is very similar, but he's a little thinner, I mean, Josh Allen is like 240 or something. He's big. He looks like a tight end or outside linebacker. I thought he looked like (Kyler) Fackrell in pregame warmup. This guy's not as big, but he's strong and athletic. I see guys slide right off his legs on tape."

Special Teams Coordinator/Running Backs Coach Mark Tommerdahl
On a midseason update on the special teams:
"We are grinding. Every week is a challenge. There is great skill in this league and we have seen great skill in our non-league games. It is a coaching cliché to say every week is a challenge, but every week is a challenge. Last week we saw the No. 1 kick returner in the country and in the next couple of weeks, we'll see other guys who are ranked in the top-20. In this league, you better buckle it up every week and so far, our kids have responded. We have had some really good individual effort on our teams and some guys have really done well across a fairly broad body of work.

"As far as our special teams mentality at Utah State, it all starts from the top. Matt Wells is into special teams and we get a tremendous amount of support from the head coach as far as practice time, as far as access to players and as far as access to coaches. Every coach on our staff coaches special teams except for David Yost, who is the offensive coordinator. David is a former special teams coordinator, so he dives right in during our meetings and planning, and he is a great resource for me. Stacy Collins, last year's special teams coordinator, I'm in his office a lot with questions and me being new to this organization, it's been a tremendous resource for me.

"As far as individuals that have done well, and this may surprise you, but I really do think the heart and soul of any special teams organization at any Division I school is the long snapper. Think about it. It is the only position that if you get a good one, you are done recruiting for four years. We're going to sign a quarterback every year and we're going to try to get a great tailback every year, but if you get a good deep snapper, you're done recruiting for four years. We have got a really solid deep snapper here in Emmett Odegard. You haven't noticed him, and that's good.

"Aaron Dalton has had a steady year and he's doing a good job of getting the ball off. At this level and in this league, you better get the ball going and so far, so good, as far as his snap-to-kick times, and that type of thing. Dominik Eberle has had a really steady year, both in field goals and kickoffs. We ask him to do a lot as far as a variety of kicks and that will continue to be the case. Chance Parker is a special teams rock on our coverage unit. He's got an expanded role on kickoff return and he continues to be one of our top graders and performers week-to-week. Louy Compton and DJ Nelson have shown flashes at times and they are playing on three units each, and are really steady performers. Our starting defensive nickel, Dalton Baker, is another defensive stalwart. Jacoby Wildman has done well. Baron Gajkowski, our backup safety, is on virtually every team, so those guys have a lot of hidden snaps. I know you all see them at their primary positions, but some of those guys are playing 30 snaps extra on special teams. We've got a good core unit and again, our players have done a good job of buying in, as has our staff, and that's where it all starts."

On a midseason update on the running backs:
"I've been asked to give a midseason report on the running backs and this is a bad week to do that. We had two fumbles and three drops in our last game. Everybody knows about the last fumble of the game, which obviously came at a critical time. I will say this in front of God and everybody, and I don't think anybody will disagree with me, if there is one person on this team we want carrying the ball at the end of the game, it's LaJuan Hunt. That is not changing. He is rock steady, we trust him and he will be placed in that situation again next week.

"We're playing several running backs and in this offense, you have to do that. As fast as we play, you are not going to have a running back standing in there for 92 snaps a game. LaJuan is our starter and we have a good mix of size and speed with Eltoro Allen, who has a second gear that some of the other guys don't have. Justen Hervey is a rock steady dependable guy and really good pass protector. He is more of a tackle-to-tackle back. We are also going to play Tre Miller, our freshman, in a regular rotation. He has been asked to grow up and grow up fast, and he'll get the opportunity to do that."

On Minnesota being the first place to coach special teams:
"Yeah, that was my first special teams job. That was decades ago."

On how it came about that he has always coached special teams since his Minnesota days:
"It's just like a lot of other businesses, sometimes you just find your niche. It really wasn't planned that way, but I enjoy it. I have been doing it for a long time and I still feel the rush. There is nothing better than standing on the 35-yard line for the opening kickoff. I'm fortunate that I still feel that way because I don't take it for granted, it's not just doing a job. I'm really passionate about it and I like the fact that I get to deal with virtually every person on the team, I deal with virtually every coach on the staff, so it keeps me getting my tail out of bed every morning. I just like what I do."

On if there is a special teams group that hasn't played as well as the others:
"Can I use the word suck in this interview? Our kickoff return team sucks right now. That's the one team that lags and again, it's really the same guys I have already talked about. That's just a unit that requires coordination as far as spacing and timing of blocks, and that type of thing. We're still not finding our way. We've got the young Savon Scarver on the back end with the veteran, LaJuan Hunt, next to him. We've got good people on the back end, we just haven't popped one yet. I can tell you that we are improving and we are, but again, that's just kind of making myself feel good because we're not performing up to standard in that unit and we haven't all year."

On placekicker Dominik Eberle's work ethic:
"He has really paid his dues here. He was a waiter until August. He would come to practice and then leave to go be a waiter. He has paid his dues and got his scholarship the old fashioned way, he earned it. So far, so good. He's got a really good mentality. He's a tough guy and he's shown toughness, and then he works at his craft. If he makes a mistake, he can correct it. He's gotten a lot of coaching on the side. We can't work with him during the summer, so he has a coach back in California that he flies back and forth to. He is committed, he's paid a price and so far, it's paying off for him."

On if all players are available to play on special teams:
"Yeah, and there again, you hear a lot of head coaches say that we put our best players on special teams. That is a head coach cliché and most people who really know what's going on when they hear that say, `Yeah, right.' We get a lot of support at Utah State, so we will limit some players, as to the number of teams. It's not like we can have every player starting on all four units. I would like to do that, but I get it. Some players are limited to one or two teams. Do we have access to every player on the team? Yes, we do."

On if DJ Nelson was the one who approached the coaches asking to play special teams:
"He came and volunteered and then you have a discussion because he is your third-string quarterback. He has performed very well for us, as have a lot of other guys."

On how confident he is that the Aggies will be able to establish the run against UNLV:
"You have to be really guarded because it doesn't matter who we are playing, we just have to be concerned about ourselves. Whether it is UNLV or anybody else, I would say that based on how we've rushed the ball so far, it's something we know we have to improve upon. We sell this to our players and it's true, I can't name you an opponent's player, but I know their scheme. I'm not just talking about UNLV, I'm talking about in general. We have to fix our own house first, so I'm more concerned about our performance than about UNLV's defense or anybody else's defense."

On using the running backs in Utah State's up-tempo style of offense:
"When this offense is clicking, it is as balanced as can be. When we're playing fast, the tempo can have a tremendous cumulative effect on the defense. I've been a part of this offense now for eight years at two different schools, and when it is clicking, you are 50/50. It's really not planned that way, it's just the way this offense works when it clicks."

On evolving as the game constantly changes:
"The game is always changing and when you've been doing this as long as I have, if you are stubborn in your ways, you can become a dinosaur pretty fast. I think that is true with any position because the game is always changing and you had better keep up. If I had been changing the same nuances for 30 years, this game would have passed me by a long time ago."

On what makes him trust LaJuan Hunt so much:
"He is just a rock-steady performer. He practices hard and he runs hard. Is he a 4-4? No. Do you hold your breath every time he touches the ball? No. But, he is going to pass protect, he is going to be assignment-sound and when you hit him, he is going to keep his feet moving and move the pile forward."