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SALT LAKE CITY — Utah State head coach Matt Wells had nearly 48 hours to digest the team’s first win of the year, a 40-20 home victory over Idaho State, and one thing seemed to jump out to him.
He’s going to enjoy every win as much as possible, no matter the opponent.
“Like I told the players and our staff, college football is a hard sport with a long year, and you’ve got to enjoy every win,” Wells said Monday morning in Salt Lake City. “We’re not where we want to be or need to be, but we’re going to keep improving and keep climbing that ladder as we go through the fall. It’s a long fall.”
The Aggies (1-1) will focus on the positives, including the emergence of JoJo Natson as a weapon at wide receiver, punt returner and even running back, alongside Joe Hill, LaJuan Hunt, Rashad Hall, Kennedy Williams and the scrambling ability of Chuckie Keeton.
“We ran the ball well,” Wells said. “We found different ways to run the ball through different people. It looks to me like it may not be a one-man show back there. We’re spreading the wealth around between Chuckie Keeton, JoJo Natson and three or four running backs. If that’s the case, so be it; it’s fine with me.”
Like I told the players and our staff, college football is a hard sport with a long year, and you've got to enjoy every win. We're not where we want to be or need to be, but we're going to keep improving and keep climbing that ladder as we go through the fall. It's a long fall.
–Utah State coach Matt Wells
Natson leads the Mountain West Conference with 64 yards and a touchdown on three punt returns, and he also rates eighth in all-purpose yards. The junior returner, who led the team with 146 all-purpose yards Saturday, will be counted on in several facets as the Aggies get more thin at wide receiver. Shaan Johnson was confirmed out for the year with a recurring knee injury, and Brandon Swindall’s availability is uncertain pending the results of an MRI.
That leaves room for Natson, Hunter Sharp, Damoun Patterson, Hayden Weichers, Ronald Butler and others to step up in the receiving game, Wells added.
“They’re going to have opportunities to step up,” he said. “They need to step up and play quality reps.”
An increased quality from the wide positions will also help Keeton, who ranks ninth in the Mountain West in passing after two games. The senior from Houston has completed 47.7 percent of his passes for 260 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions — an average of only 130 yards per game.
But it’s early, and the dip in statistical form doesn’t worry Wells.
“I don’t think it was an accuracy issue with (Keeton),” Wells said. “There are always reasons why certain numbers go like they do. Oftentimes, a quarterback goes 22-for-25 and you’ve got receivers making catches they shouldn’t. We missed a few contested catches (Saturday) and had two drops early in the game. I don’t think it was a big accuracy issues. I don’t think any of us are really satisfied.”
Looking ahead to Saturday, Utah State will host the first Atlantic Coast Conference team at Romney Stadium when Wake Forest arrives. The game against the Demon Deacons (1-1) at 5 p.m. MDT is billed as a whiteout, and Wells hopes for a loud, passionate support base with no other games at BYU, Utah or anywhere else in the state Saturday night.
“It’s huge for us. We want to establish a winning culture and program,” Wells said of the fans. “That’s why I told our guys to enjoy the win before we go back to work on Monday. That’s what we’re going to do. We’re very appreciative of the fans. The Hurd was loud and into it. We need another big crowd there for the ‘Whiteout’ Saturday night.
“We need to fill that thing up.”
