LOGAN, Utah – Utah State head football coach Matt Wells, along with senior center Quin Ficklin and senior linebacker/safety Jontrell Rocquemore, held a press conference Monday to recap the Aggies' season-opener at No. 11 Michigan State last Friday night and preview their home opener against New Mexico State on Saturday night. A complete transcript of the press conference can be found below.
 
Head Coach Matt Wells
Opening Statement:
"I'm really proud of our players' efforts Friday night and the level of physicality that we played with on both sides of the ball. We played very physical out on the perimeter, probably one of our better perimeter blocking games that we've had against really good outside linebackers and safeties. We tackled pretty well in space. Given all that, we didn't find a way to win the game. Michigan State is a very good football team. To me, they'll be a premier Big Ten team and they'll probably compete for that championship. Now, we have a lot of things to take confidence in. There are a lot of things to be proud of, but hopefully that's a major motivation for us to continue to prepare at a high level in terms of video, in terms of practice, and motivate us to improve a tremendous amount between week one and week two. This week is all about us. It's what we do and it's how we do it. If we concentrate on that and we concentrate on us, we'll improve a lot from week one to week two, which is absolutely the goal here."
 
On New Mexico State:
"They have a lot of guys back on defense. No. 94, DeShawnte Loyd, No. 99, Myles Vigne, and No. 51, Roy Lopez, are loaded inside. These guys are big, strong and physical guys. I anticipate Cedric Wilcots II being back. Terrill Hanks is an outside linebacker who is big, strong and athletic, and he has NFL aspirations. I know the NFL guys like him a lot. I talked to them about him this summer. They have some quick-twitch wide receivers. I have a lot of respect for the job that (NMSU head coach) Doug Martin has done. The defensive coordinator, Frank Spaziani, is an experienced guy that knows football and has done a really good job there. We have a lot of respect for them and we're looking forward to playing in front of our home crowd Saturday night."
 
On going for it on fourth down early in the game and being more aggressive:
"It was the theme of the game and it was also only one foot. It wasn't very far. It was a reflection of how we had started that game. It wasn't a conscious decision that I said, 'The very first fourth down we're going to go for it.' It was a game-time decision and a gut decision. I'd do it again. The defense bailed me out. They held them to a field goal."
 
On being more aggressive this season from an offensive standpoint:
"I would like to think so. I don't know if that's going to get reflected in the first fourth-and-1 play. Saturday night, we might end up punting it or may end up kicking a field goal. I don't think it always means go for it. The aggressiveness that we're going to play with in terms of the pace and the tempo, and throwing the ball down the field, the aggressiveness that we're going to play with on defense and on special teams is a trademark of our program. It's a trademark of our players and our coaches. I don't think it always reflects on play-calling. Just because you're aggressive doesn't mean you'll always go for it on fourth down. I felt like we were already playing well at that point. I thought like our pace was good at that point. I knew what play (offensive coordinator) David (Yost) was going to call and we went for it. They did a good job running through and we didn't pick it up and they got a TFL."
 
On some of your guys that stood out from the Michigan State game:
"Quin Ficklin and Sean Taylor played really well up front. Alfred Edwards was playing in his first game in that atmosphere and for that, I'm proud of Alfred. He has a lot of work to do to improve on, but Alfred Edwards is going to be a good offensive lineman for us. Dax Raymond made some big catches on third down. Jalen Greene made some big second-half catches. I thought Jordan Love was calm, poised and very accurate. Adewale Adeoye probably played his best game as a Utah State Aggie on the D-line. I think you saw flashes of Tipa Galeai and what Tipa can do. I thought Chase Christiansen was very solid. He had a great goal-line tackle. David Wooward needs to lower his pad level and play lower, but he's a young linebacker that I think played a very good game. Shaq Bond had his first start and he has a lot of things to clean up and a lot of things to get better at. He's a good football player and a good tackler in space. Gaje Ferguson was nails-on all night. Jontrell Rocquemore played very well all night. I thought Dominik Eberle kicked the ball well. Those are a few of the guys that stood out a little bit."
 
On how much you're looking forward to seeing your team playing at home:
"I'm looking forward to the game Saturday because it's the next opportunity that our guys have and they have to go out and play. This week is all about us. It's what we do and it's how we do it. I expect a sellout and a loud crowd. I think the HURD will be in full attendance. It will be live, legit loud and our players are looking forward to playing in front of their students, their hometown, their community, their fans and they're going to really be looking forward to it."
 
On evaluating the running game:
"We didn't run the ball very well at all. Michigan State is one of the best front seven in college football. They were second in the nation last year in rushing defense and they're going to end up that way this year. We didn't run the ball well enough to win. I'm not going to give us, and when I say us I say collectively, the out because they were that good. We have to be better in the run game."
 
On what stands out about New Mexico State's defense:
"They have some guys back in the secondary and up front on defense. Coming back from last year, they're experienced in that system. Their guys have played in a big atmosphere before. You expect everything that they have. They're very well coached. They play hard, run to the football and it will be a good matchup."
 
On stopping New Mexico State's pass:
"They're going to throw it quite a bit. They have good receivers, but the bottom line is you have to stop the run, first and foremost on defense, and that will be our first order of business, just like we think it is every week."
 
On going back to last year's film against New Mexico State:
"This game is all about us. It's all about the Utah State 2018 Aggies vs. the New Mexico State 2018 Aggies. That's how our players are approaching it and that's how the coaches are approaching it. We'll study everything that we've got on them from the last couple of years just like we have all summer. I probably can't say it enough. This week is all about us. Week two is all about us. It's what we do and how we do it. That's the message our players are hearing. That's the message that they know to be true. Our captains are going to ram that home, if you will. There's a lot of improvement for the Utah State Aggies to make and we're going to worry about us this week."
 
On improving from week one to week two and if that's a real truism:
"I think it has to happen and typically a lot of times it does. Just because there's always so many unknowns when you're going into that first game and you kind of wonder, and then now that you have it on tape, guys can see. You can go back and see practice habits that didn't get cleaned up that show back up in a game. There are also some good things. Some drills that we do against each other competitively and ball security. You saw glimpses of it in the Michigan State game where we did protect the ball, where we finished a block here and there. You see some things that you can point out to your players. There is a lot of improvement to be done and I'm glad it's a full week for us and I'm glad it's not a short week. I was glad we had an extra day of rest this weekend. I'm glad that we have a full week to get ready to go play our second game."
 
Senior Center Quin Ficklin
On the Michigan State game:
"We did a lot of good things on offense. Obviously, not enough to win the game. We had a pretty good tempo throughout the game."
 
On New Mexico State:
"They have a pretty good defense. We have to get ready for them this week. It's all about our preparation, and what we do as a unit. How the offense plays will really determine how the defense plays. Obviously, how the USU Aggies play will determine the outcome of this game. It's all about us and getting better from last week."
 
On if the first series against Michigan State went as drawn out:
"We decided we were going to have a pretty good pace on them, so that's what did. So, we went out and had a good first drive."
 
On if there are any thoughts on last season's bowl game against NMSU:
"Not really. It is the same programs, New Mexico State and Utah State. We are the same football programs, but we are very different teams. We're a different team than we were last year. They're a different team than they were last year."
 
On how he would assess New Mexico State's defensive linemen:
"Great guys, physical guys. That's what we've seen this year, as well."
 
On how excited he is to test the team's running game against New Mexico State:
"I'm really excited to do that. It's great to be at home in front of the HURD and to have all their support behind us. It'll be fun to play and get a little bit more of a ground game this week."
 
On the difference between last year and this year's Jordan Love:
"Last year he was a great player, and this year he is a phenomenal player. He's a lot calmer in the pocket and trusting in his reads and stuff like that. He's definitely improved throughout the offseason."
 
Senior Linebacker/Safety Jontrell Rocquemore
On the Michigan State game:
"We played a great game on defense and had a lot of effort with a lot of physicality. We emphasized some of the things that we've done in practice and brought that into the game with us and just came up short."
 
On New Mexico State:
"They're a great team. We haven't really installed anything on them as a unit. I've watched a little bit of them from the last couple of games that they had. They're a great team. I'm excited to play."
 
On how exciting it is to play at his position:
"It's exciting. The way I think about it is playing safety at five yards and I can't be wrong, really. Some plays, I do my own thing, but I have great guys in the back end to make me right if I do make mistakes. It allows me to play a lot more aggressive. It's great."
 
On if he still has pass responsibilities:
"Yes, I still do. It's not all run-run like I'm a true outside linebacker, it's more of a nickel outside linebacker type mix, safety mix."
 
On how hungry the defense is to attack NMSU's offensive line on Saturday:
"I'm excited to play them. I'm excited to learn what we're going to do differently on defense. I'm excited to make those improvements. I have no clue what we're going to do as far as pass-rush and things like that, but I know we're going to bring it and we're going to play our best defense. It's going to be exciting."
 
On the bowl game:
"I know for a fact that our defense is completely different than it was a year ago, from December to now. We have a lot of different pieces to our puzzle that we're going to bring. Stopping the run is our biggest emphasis this year, so I'm excited and ready to play."
 
On defending the pass:
"Coming out of fall camp with our offense, our defense has seen basically any look that you can imagine. So, they really prepared us to go line up against anybody with any look as far as the run or pass or whatever they want to do. Our offense has given us great looks on the other side of the ball to defend anything, really. It's just about us executing, being physical, stopping the run and going back to our basics."
 
On how much he expects New Mexico State to come into the game hungry:
"I don't really see it as desperate. It's still early in the year for them. I don't know what's going on for them or things like that. I can't quote anything for them. All I know is we can do what we do on defense and offense, and what we can do here at Utah State. I'm expecting their best. We should expect their best and nothing less because it's a good football team. It should be a good game."
 
On changing numbers:
"I made the request to go to number three and change from 27. There was nothing special about it. I just wanted to be in the single digits. I wore a single digit in high school all my years and just was like, 'Let's try something different, make a new move."
 
On if it's difficult to retain information playing at two positions:
"I would say it would be, but with my experience, I've played safety all my years of college and I've learned a lot of different positions from the back end of what the corner is doing, what the nickel is doing, what the dime is doing. I've played dime, I've played nickel, and I've played safety for the majority of my time. With my knowledge of what outside linebackers are supposed to do, I've known putting those pieces together, if I'm doing this as a cover for a safety, then an outside linebacker should be doing this for me. I just make those minor tweaks. Now, I'm doing this as an outside linebacker, then my safety behind me should be doing this."
 
On the adjustments within the safeties:
"We had a couple of injuries around the spring. In spring ball, we had a couple of guys go down. We developed more depth at safety, more depth at the back end and brought more guys onto the field, more speed onto the field. They would just say, 'How do you feel about playing more outside linebacker? To you, it would really just be playing nickel, which you've done in the past, playing nickel and dime. So, there's not too much of an adjustment.' It's been great from the spring to fall camp. With Michigan State, there is a lot of stuff to build on, things to tweak, things to fix, things to improve on always. So far, it's been great."
 
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