UTAH STATE FOOTBALL ® 12 Conference Championships • 12 Bowl Games • 11 NFL Draft Picks Since 2011 • 54 All-Mountain West Selections (2013-17) /// 2018 SCHEDULE/RESULTS /// AGGIES OPEN 2018 SEASON IN BIG TEN COUNTRY AT MICHIGAN STATE Game will be televised live on Big Ten Network at 5 p.m. (MT). DATE OPPONENT TV TIME/RESULT A 31 at #11 Michigan State Big Ten Net. 5 pm S 8 NEW MEXCIO STATE Facebook 6 pm S 13 TENNESSEE TECH Facebook 6 pm S 22 AIR FORCE* ESPN Net. TBA O 5 at BYU ESPN2 7 pm O 13 UNLV* Facebook 2 pm O 20 at Wyoming* AT&T Sports 12:30 pm O 27 NEW MEXICO* Facebook 2 pm N 3 at Hawai’i* Spectrum 10 pm Utah State returns 18 starters (O-9, D-9) and 47 letterwinners (O-19, D-26, S-2) from last year’s team that played in its sixth bowl game in the past seven seasons. N 10 SAN JOSÉ STATE* Facebook 2 pm N 17 at Colorado State* AT&T Sports Noon /// THE MATCHUP /// N 24 at Boise State* ESPN Net. TBA UTAH STATE (0-0) vs. No. 11 MICHIGAN STATE (0-0) D 1 MW Championship TBA TBA Friday, Aug. 31, 2018 • 5:05 p.m. (MT) • East Lansing, Mich. • Spartan Stadium (75,005) * Mountain West Game UTAH STATE AGGIES MICHIGAN STATE SPARTANS All times Mountain. Home games in BOLD CAPS. 2017 Record: 6-7, 4-4 Mountain West 2017 Record: 10-3, 7-2 Big Ten /// GAME 1 INFORMATION /// Last Game: Dec. 29, 2017 Last Game: Dec. 28, 2017 TV: Big Ten Network • L, 20-26 OT vs. New Mexico St. • W, 42-17 vs. Washington State • Play-by-Play ....................... Brandon Gaudin Head Coach: Matt Wells Head Coach: Mark Dantonio • Analyst ........................................ Glen Mason • School Record: 34-32 (6th year) • School Record: 100-45 (12th year) • Reporter .................................... Elise Menaker • Career Record: 34-32 (6th year) • Career Record: 118-62 (15th year) • DISH ..................................................... Ch. 405 • Non-Conference Record: 11-15 (6th year) • Non-Conference Record: 44-20 (15th year) • DirecTV ................................................. Ch. 610 • vs. Michigan State: 0-0 • vs. Utah State: 0-0 RADIO: AGGIE SPORTS NETWORK Returning Statistical Leaders Returning Statistical Leaders • Play-by-Play ............................ Scott Garrard • Rush: Eltoro Allen (68-284, 1 TD) • Rush: LJ Scott (201-898, 8 TD) • Analyst ......................................... Kevin White • Pass: Jordan Love (129-235, 1,631, 8 TD, 6 INT) • Pass: Brian Lewerke (246-417, 2,793, 20 TD, 7 INT) • Online: ....... 1280thezone.com / Tunein.com • Rec.: Ron’quavion Tarver (48-569, 7 TD) • Rec.: Felton Davis III (55-776, 9 TD) • National: .... Sirius 119 / XM 195 / Internet 957 • Def.: Suli Tamaivena (11 TKL, 6.5 TFL, 2 FR) • Def.: Joe Bachie (100 TKL, 8.5 TFL, 3 INT) SOCIAL MEDIA: #AGGIESALLTHEWAY /// KICKOFF COVERAGE /// • Twitter/Instagram .................... @USUFootball • Utah State will open the 2018 season with a road game for the seventh time in the last 10 • Facebook .................................... USUFootball seasons and 61st time in program history as it plays at No. 11 Michigan State on Friday, Aug. • YouTube ............................ UtahStateFootball 31, at 5 p.m. (MT), in a game that will be nationally televised on the Big Ten Network. It will • Live Stats ...... UtahState.Statbroadcast.com be the first-ever meeting between the Aggies and Spartans. • Utah State is beginning its season in Big Ten country for the second straight year as it /// AGGIE RADIO NETWORKS /// opened the 2017 campaign at No. 9 Wisconsin, where it held an early 10-0 lead and was tied with the Badgers 10-10 at the half. • Every Utah State football game can be heard live on the Aggie Radio Network. Scott Garrard • Utah State returns 18 starters (O-9, D-9) and 47 letterwinners (O-19, D-26, S-2) from last sea- serves as the play-by-play announcer, while son, and those 18 returning starters rank as the third-most in the nation behind Florida (19) former USU quarterback Kevin White (1988-89) and Michigan State (19). When you add in its two returning specialists, USU’s 20 returning will provide color analysis. Games can also be starters are tied for the third-most in the nation behind Baylor (22) and Michigan State (22), and tied with Florida (20), Michigan (20) and UAB (20). heard on the Internet (www.UtahStateAggies. com) by clicking on the ‘Listen Live’ link, as well • In all, Utah State returns 35 players with starting experience, including 26 who made their as on the TuneIn App. first career start with USU last season. Of those 26 returning players who made starts last • Salt Lake City KZNS (1280 AM/97.5 FM) season, six started all 13 games in senior OT Roman Andrus, senior OG Rob Castandeda, • Logan KBLU-LP (92.3 FM) senior OC Quin Ficklin, senior LB Suli Tamaivena, senior WR Ron’quavion Tarver and junior OG Moroni Iniguez. • Cache Valley KACH (1340 AM/105.5 FM) • Price KRPX (95.3 FM) • Utah State has four players, all listed as starters, who transferred to USU from Power 5 pro- • Green River KRPX (102.7 FM) grams in senior OG Rob Castaneda (Texas Tech), senior WR Jalen Greene (USC), junior LB • Moab KRPX (100.3 FM) Tipa Galeai (TCU) and junior DE Fua Leilua (Oklahoma State). • Orangeville KRPX (95.9 FM) • Utah State’s defense finished last season ranking sixth in the nation with its 29 forced turn- overs and tied for second in the nation with its 16 fumble recoveries. Overall, USU has forced ® 139 turnovers in its last 75 games, including at least one turnover in 58 of those 75 games. 2018 UTAH STATE FOOTBALL GAME NOTES ® /// COACHING STAFF /// MEDIA RELATIONS CONTACTS • Associate Athletics Director for Media Relations Doug Hoffman (435-797-3714 office, 435- HEAD COACH MATT WELLS 881-8011 cell, [email protected]) handles all media requests for the Utah State football • Years Coached: Sixth Season program, along with Assistant Media Relations Coordinator Wade Denniston (435-797-1361 • Alma Mater: Utah State, 1996 office, 435-787-8587 cell, [email protected]). • Career Record: 34-32 (.515) • Record at Utah State: 34-32 (.515) WEEKLY PRESS CONFERENCE • Utah State head coach Matt Wells will hold his weekly press conference every Monday • Mountain West Record: 23-17 (.575) during the season at 11:30 a.m. MT. Selected players will also be available. Live streaming • Bowl Record: 2-2 (.500) of the press conference will be made available at UtahStateAggies.com. ASSISTANT COACHES/STAFF • Frank Maile (Assistant Head Coach/Co-DC/DL) PRACTICE SCHEDULE / INTERVIEW REQUESTS • Practices are closed to the media. Requested coaches and players will be available • Keith Patterson (Defensive Coordinator/S) for post-practice interviews on Tuesdays and Wednesdays for Saturday games. There is • David Yost (Offensive Coordinator/QB) no media availability following Monday, Thursday and Friday practices. All player and • Jovon Bouknight (Outside Receivers) assistant coaching staff interview requests should be directed to Doug Hoffman. Personal • Julius Brown (Defensive Backs) phone numbers will not be made available to media. Players have been instructed not to • Stacy Collins (Inside Linebackers) conduct interviews when contacted without prior approval from the media relations staff. • Steve Farmer (Offensive Line) • DeAndre Smith (Running Backs) POST-GAME INTERVIEW POLICY • Uani ‘Unga (Outside Linebackers) • The Utah State locker room is closed at all times. Requested players will be available in the • Luke Wells (Tight Ends/Inside Receivers) Spetman Auditorium on the second floor of the Jim & Carol Laub Athletics-Academics Complex • Waqa Damuni (Asst. AD for Football Operations ) immediately following head coach Matt Wells’ post-game press conference. Live streaming • Zach Nybord (Director of Player Personnel) of each post-game press conference will be made available at UtahStateAggies.com. Post- • Dave Kragthorpe (Special Asst. to Head Coach) game interviews on the road will be held in accordance with the host school’s procedures. • John Cannova (Offensive Administrative Assistant) CREDENTIALS AND PARKING • Chuckie Keeton (Offensive Graduate Assistant) • Requests for working credentials for the 2017 Utah State football season must be sent to • Al Lapuaho (Defensive Graduate Assistant) Doug Hoffman. Media parking is located in the C lot on the north side of Maverik Stadium. • Conor Dubin (Defensive Graduate Assistant) • Justin Udy (Defensive Administrative Assistant) PRESS BOX AND GAMEDAY SERVICES • Worth Gregory (Special Teams Admin. Assistant) • Access to the press level (fifth floor) of the West Stadium Center is located on the north- • Jason Shumaker (Senior Analyst for Special Teams) west side of Maverik Stadium. A pregame meal will be served approximately one hour pri- • Dave Scholz (Strength & Conditioning) or to kickoff. Packets with pregame information will be distributed in advance of kickoff on • Mike Williams (Athletics Trainer) game day. Play-by-play, quarter, halftime and final statistics, along with coach and player • Mike Bair (Equipment) quotes, are all regular services on game day. Stat monitors with live, updated statistics are • Bill Garren (Video) provided for radio and television, while print media can access the same information with their computers utilizing GameTracker and StatBroadcast. /// TEAM INFORMATION /// PHOTOGRAPHERS’ ACCESS • 2017 Record: 6-7 • Photographers have access to both the press level (fifth floor) of the West Stadium Cen- • MW Record (Finish): 4-4 (Fourth-Mountain Division) ter and the Spetman Auditorium on the second floor of the Jim & Carol Laub Athletics-Ac- • Ranking (AP/Coaches): NA ademics Complex. The Spetman Auditorium is not available until one hour prior to kickoff • Lettermen Returning: 47 (O-19, D-26, S-2) each game day. • Lettermen Lost: 19 (O-10, D-8, S-1) • Starters Returning: 18 (O-9, D-9) UTAHSTATEAGGIES.COM • Starters Lost: 4 (O-2, D-2) • For updated statistics, rosters, game notes and all Aggie news on the Internet, go to the Offensive Starters Returning: 9 official Utah State Athletics website at UtahStateAggies.com.