LOGAN, Utah – Utah State head football coach Matt Wells, along with junior tight end Dax Raymond and junior linebacker Tipa Galeai, held a press conference Monday to recap the Aggies' win over San José State and preview their upcoming road game at Colorado State on Saturday afternoon. A complete transcript of the press conference can be found below.
 
Head Coach Matt Wells
On the San José State game:
"We played really well on offense and defense. There are some things on special teams we certainly need to get cleaned up, and in a hurry. We'll get our players' attention on that because it has already gotten our coaches' attention. We have to be more sound and better in our special teams operation. We've spent way too much time in every one of those phases. We take a lot of pride in our special teams and we are committed to making that look a lot better, and to play a lot better. There are a lot of positives coming out of the San José State game. We played our starters for two-and-a-half quarters and they played well on defense and offense. At that point, we put in a bunch of players that came in and played hard. A lot of those guys that we played late in the game were actually on the scout team during the week. It's interesting to see how games go at the end. I thought those kids came in and played hard. We had a few offensive linemen that played pretty well at the end. 
 
"Defensively, Fua Leilua played excellent and he's really playing at a high level right now. Christopher 'Unga played well and Adewale Adeoye played well. David Woodward has been consistent over the last month and Deante Fortenberry played very well. Offensively, Jordan Love played really well. Darwin Thompson and Gerold Bright continue to be a great one-two punch for us. Ron'quavion Tarver had a big Senior Day catching the football. Dax Raymond and Carson Terrell both played well at tight end. DJ Nelson played very well and blocked very well. Aaren Vaughns and Jordan Nathan played really well. We've stayed healthy and we came out of it pretty healthy, and only playing our starters for two-and-a-half quarters was really good for us."
 
On Colorado State:
"It's round seven for us and the biggest thing as you look ahead, it's a tough place to win and they always play well there. We haven't won there since 2012 and we're zero for our last two times in Fort Collins. It's a new stadium and it will be Senior Day, so they will be emotional. They have very talented young men and it's a team that has a lot of talent and can rally together. We looked bad last year against Colorado State in the first half. Their defensive line beat us up (last year), their linebackers beat us up and we couldn't do anything on offense. We couldn't communicate to save our lives on defense and gave them some walk-off touchdowns. It was embarrassing in the first half the way we played against them. That already has gotten our guys' attention. (CSU head coach) Mike Bobo and that staff is a veteran staff. I have a lot of respect for them and they have talented young men."
 
On Jordan Love winning Mountain West Player of the Week for the sixth time this season:
"I'm very happy for Jordan. He played very well, threw some nice balls, and continues to be calm and very composed at the line of scrimmage with the clock winding down. He's making checks, protection checks, and has handled it all very well. I also think it is a direct reflection of the guys around him. San José State pressured us a little more than a lot of teams have. Our offensive line protected, we ran the ball well, our running backs caught the ball very well and we continued to make catches around him. That's part of the quarterback's job, is to inspire and invoke a performance of the 10 guys around him. The quarterback plays better because of the guys around him, too. You kind of have it on both sides and the weekly honor is a reflection of the entire offense."
 
On Colorado State wide receiver Preston Williams:
"Williams is a man. He looks like a grown man on tape. That's an SEC receiver, obviously, but he's been playing at a high level. He's an NFL-type kid, has tremendous hands, speed and is a very good route runner. He's coached by a very good receiver coach (Alvis Whitted), and he's the next in line. He's a very talented young man who we better know where he is on the field every single snap."
 
On Colorado State's quarterback change from K.J. Carta-Samuels to Collin Hill:
"We played against Collin a couple of years ago and saw him on tape when he was younger. I have a lot of respect for him and respect for how he has come back with both knee injuries. He's big, strong and an athletic young man."
 
On Colorado State running back Izzy Matthews:
"Izzy is compact, runs behind his shoulder pads and when I say that, that means he has a low center of gravity. He continues to run and get his knees up. Darwin (Thompson) is similar to him, but on contact, Matthews accelerates on contact. He's thick, strong and is a good player."
 
On who stands out for Colorado State's defense:
"Josh Watson is all over the place and makes every single tackle you see on tape. He's been a very consistent player for them over the years and another guy I have a lot of respect for."
 
On Colorado State potentially struggling on defense the last couple of games:
"If you take last week, you look at Nevada, they have a talented offense. They have a quarterback and receivers playing well. Nevada has some good skill and watching them for the first time on TV about  a month ago, you could see that. You look at Colorado State and they have a young, but very talented, defensive line. There are a couple of true sophomores in there and a true freshman. The sophomores played against us last year and are thick, strong young men. Watson is all over the place, Jordan Fogal is a really good safety. They have a true freshman starting at corner (Rashad Ajayi) that does some good stuff. I haven't seen all of their stuff right now sitting here on Monday, but (CB Rashad) Ajayi has made a couple of plays. Just knowing that he's a true freshman, I'm liking that to a young Jalen Davis out there, and that is a high compliment."
 
On talking with Colorado State head coach Mike Bobo about his diagnosis of peripheral neuropathy:
"Coach Bobo and I had a conversation in the middle or beginning of training camp. I've known Mike since Mike was at Georgia and I was at Louisville. The first time I met him I was on the road recruiting. Mike's been a really good friend of mine for right around 10 years. I reached out to him and we've texted a couple of times. I hope he has it figured out and settled. Your health is so important, not only physically, but mentally. I know Mike grinds and cares a lot about that program and putting his stamp on it. I have a lot of respect for him and certainly hope he's okay."
 
On what it says about this squad that they've been able to focus on their own expectations:
"It says a lot about our player-leadership. It says a lot about how we developed our players because, obviously, a lot of the experts didn't think that that we were really good. It's hard to predict; coaches and players aren't in the prediction business. Our guys have certainly bought into this culture in our plan to win and our core values. Some of the guys that have been around here for a few years understand that culture doesn't just show up every single year. There is a way you do things and there was a time for a year or a year-and-a-half, where we were crossing our fingers and living off of previous teams a little bit. You go through a little bit of a dip in that, in terms of your culture and maybe some of your player-leadership.
 
"We lost a lot of assistants to jobs that payed them a whole lot more money, which is another factor into it. After that 2016 season, the thing that we did is we uncovered every single stone in this program, in terms of everything, and flipped it over to recruiting, our culture, our goals and our expectations. Quite frankly, the vast majority of it stays the same. It gives you a great insight of why you're doing stuff. It's more of the why and those whys were right. I changed some coaches and made a complete change on offense. We quietly recruited very well and these guys have come in and done a nice job. We've developed them in the right way with Dave Scholz and his staff.
 
"The guys that are making plays right now that have not been here very long have come in and added to the culture. I'm so proud of them. We have our own expectations internally and I've always said they're higher than anybody else can put on us. The outside world didn't put very high expectations on us. You don't really use that as an emotional motivation because at some point, that's going to wear off and your habits, your discipline, is going to going to kick in. So much of that is developed in the offseason from January all the way through July, and then quite frankly, those predictions come out in July, so it doesn't really matter."
 
On Andrew Peasley's performance against SJSU:
"Andrew played well, but was loose with the ball. It's just a ball-security issue, but I was pleased with Andrew and he played well. He can run the ball and handled the stage. That was the third time he's played, but it was his first significant playing time. With him knowing he was going in, there is a different mindset for that. I was proud of him and he did a nice job. We weren't really running our normal offense because I made him milk the clock and he handled that really well. That's something that most freshmen don't have to come in and do. You have to be a little bit more of a veteran. Andrew has a bright future and I'm excited about coaching him."
 
On delivering the game ball to Steve Wiley:
"Steve Wiley is one of the senior veteran glue guys. He keeps it all together and is a liaison to the players that have played here in the past, including myself. He knows everybody in Cache Valley, at Utah State and every single player – walk-on, scholarship, starter and backup – that's ever worn the Aggie Blue. I have a lot of respect for that man. He bleeds Aggie Blue as much as anybody around here. He always teases with me that he already bought his plot when he gets buried, that it's going to be facing Maverik Stadium. The guys is Utah State Aggie through and through. At the end of the game in the locker room, I told our players there is only going to be one game ball this week and I'm going to take it to Steve Wiley. It was a small, simple gesture that wasn't done to go viral, it was done to show a guy what he means to us."
 
Junior Tight End Dax Raymond
On the San José State game:
"We scored a lot of points and when you watch the recap of the game, all of our negative plays and the negative things that happened, it was us doing it to ourselves. Looking back at the whole season, I think that's been the story of the season, we have an amazing offense, but we haven't reached our potential yet, because our mistakes are from ourselves. If we can limit those, which we have done pretty well this season, then this offense is going to keep rolling."
 
On sending the seniors off with a performance like that against SJSU:
"I remember before the game I was looking into the eyes of all the seniors and you can just tell there is a different sense of passion when you realize this is my last time playing in Maverik Stadium. As an underclassmen, I had the opportunity to rally the underclassmen and say, 'Hey guys, it's time to do it for these seniors. Let's send them out right.'"
 
On what has been so different about this offense compared to ones he's played on in the past:
"Two things. I'd say we are experienced because this is our second year in the offense and we have depth at every position. If someone is tired, especially with how fast we play, then there is another guy ready to go. In the past, I don't feel like we've had nearly as much depth as we have now. We have two running backs that are balling out, we have four or five receivers and six offensive linemen that can rotate in and play. Carson (Terrell) is there at tight end and I am there. Jordan (Love) is at quarterback and Henry (Colombi) is there, too. The depth is really helping us. The offense is so fast that sometimes you need a breather and someone is there to step in."
 
On being a member of the No. 1 scoring team in the nation:
"It's just fun. I don't know any other way to put it, other than playing in this offense is fun. I'm sure for you guys watching the game, if you blink, you miss something. If I blink, I miss a play call, so I can't even blink either because we are moving and going pretty quick."
 
On coming back from his broken hand so quickly:
"I had never broken a hand before, so I didn't know how long it was going to be or what not. It was crazy fast how it just started feeling good and they said, 'Let's go,' and I was fine."
On the touchdown against New Mexico after coming back:
"I was told I was going to have a limited amount of plays. I didn't play that much, but luckily, I got a play to go to the end zone, so I took it. I was pretty limited."
 
On if there was a sense of worry with the slow start against SJSU:
"That goes back to how experienced we are. We know what we can do on offense and we saw what we did wrong. It was mental mistakes like false starts and what not. Coach (David) Yost does a good job emphasizing starting fast. We didn't do that against San José State and we can't do that again for the rest of the year. There are teams coming up that if we have a slow start, it's going to be a hard time catching up. I'm sure that during this week's practices, we'll work on starting fast and we can't have mental mistakes like we did."
 
On playing with a quarterback like Jordan Love:
"That calmness you see when he's in the pocket, that's how he is 24/7. I don't think I've ever seen him anxious, angry, happy or sad. He's just mellow, perfect, which is what you need from a QB. He's fun to rally behind because he does rally the troops and tells us, 'We're going to go score.' When we do score, that's when you see him happy. But if something negative happens, you don't see any sort of stress on him."
 
On Jordan Love's competitive side:
"He is competitive. Every time we go out for a drive, he rallies us and says, 'We're going to go down and score,' or, 'Let's get this first down.' That's what you need from a QB, is to rally you."
 
On playing against Colorado State:
"In the past, they have been a challenge for us and we are not going to look past them. This is a big game for us."
 
On if the team has met the expectations he had before the season started:
"Our expectation is to be Mountain West champs, and that is what we're trying to do."
 
On if he knew the offense and team could be this good at this point in the season:
"In the summer, and even in spring, I remember looking left and right and seeing that we had explosive players everywhere. Coach Yost, and all the other offensive coaches, have done a great job of using what we have and making a really explosive offense. It's been a journey, it's been a ride and it's been really fun."
 
On if the offense has reached its peak:
"I don't think so. Like I said, we need to eliminate mental mistakes. We had a couple of false starts and a couple of holding calls against San José State. We are hurting ourselves, so if we can eliminate those, we will keep rolling."
 
Junior Linebacker Tipa Galeai
On the San José State game:
"Defensive-wise, we did a really good job as a unit. We all felt like we did what our coaches taught us to do, we trusted our training and came out with a win."
 
On how impressive it has been that the team has stayed grounded on a week-to-week basis:
"There is a motto that our coaches always repeat, 'Respect all, fear none.' Our coaches, as a defensive unit, do a good job of keeping our eyes on that week's opponent; we don't look ahead. We are aware of who is ahead of us, but our main focus is always on the team that we have in front of us."
 
On playing the position he is in this defense:
"I have had my hand on the ground all my life playing football as a defensive end. I came out here and coach Wells and his staff told me that this was a complex position and it would fit me. During spring ball, it was a test run and it has worked out great, but every position is critical and we have the perfect guys for each position that we have on the defense."
 
On if he feels like the defense gets overlooked because of how well the offense is doing:
"The recognition we get, we appreciate it, but our main mission is to reach our goals as a defensive unit and to get the ball back into our offense's hands as quick as possible."
 
On how close the defense is to reaching its max potential this season:
"To be honest, I don't think we have played our best defensive game yet, but it's going to be soon. We aim for it to be every week and if this week is our best game, then next game will be an even better game. That's what we try to do and try to reach our goals every week."
 
On the rush defense:
"Our main goal is to never let the offense run down the heart of our defense. What comes into play is us trusting our coaches. Coach (Keith) Patterson does a real good job of coaching us on our defensive schemes on stopping the run. Every team is different, so he does a really good job of giving us different jobs every week and coaching us up on it."
 
On defensive end Logan Lee:
"I don't like to call him my backup. I like to call him just another B backer. He's just as good as anybody else on this defense to me and he brings a lot to the table, just like the rest of the defense. When he comes in, I'm excited, and I love watching him play. One guy can't play every single play all four quarters. It's feasible, but it's really hard, so it helps to have Logan there, too. With just me and Logan in the B backer room, you can't get to know him any more than that. It's just me and him in that room, along with coach (Uani) 'Unga."
 
On Colorado State:
"We don't know much about them yet. We finally put last week's game to rest this morning. Right when I leave this room, I'll walk into coach Patterson's room and get the game plan and see how Colorado State, and what we can do against them."
 
On how he's liking his time at Utah State so far:
"I love it. It really brings something new every day. I am still just getting used to the place, especially the weather. Coming from Texas, it's a big climate change. I spent the winter here last year and it was cold to me, but everybody said I lucked out because it wasn't a bad winter. We'll see how this one goes."
 
On what more the defense has to do to reach its full potential:
"Be more focused, which is something we can do. Our coaches like to tell us to be football junkies and if we can, to invest more, as well as to improve in our academics. Every little thing that you do throughout the week, it pays off on game day. If you handle your academics, it's less stress on you, and you don't have to worry about anything else but the game. Once you handle your academics, you have time to focus more on football and studying the other opponents. There are a lot of little things we can do. It's the little things that matter the most to us, which is one thing we can improve."
 
On his favorite moment of the season so far:
"The pick-six at BYU was cool, but I really liked the whole Michigan State game. Every play out there was my favorite play because sitting out one year can kill you; it just teases you. To finally be back there on the field was really cool."
 
On if the close loss to Michigan State still stings:
"Everybody on the team can look back on the film of Michigan State and say, 'Man, we could've done it differently.' There are a lot of things we can learn from the Michigan