Auburn 42, Utah State 38
When: 12:00 PM ET, Saturday, September 3, 2011
Where: Jordan Hare Stadium, Auburn, Alabama
Temperature:
85°
Head Official:
Penn Wagers
Attendance:
85245
By SportsDirect Inc.
No. 23 Auburn narrowly avoided becoming the first defending national champion in 13 years to lose its season opener, rallying late from 10 points down to beat Utah State 42-38.
The host Tigers, who returned just five starters, trailed 38-28 with 3:38 remaining. Quarterback Barrett Trotter’s 15-yard touchdown pass to Philip Lutzenkirchen with 2:07 to go finished a six-play, 65-yard drive and pulled Auburn within three.
Auburn’s Emory Blake recovered the onside kick, and Michael Dyer capped an eight-play, 56-yard drive with a 1-yard touchdown run with 30 seconds left.
The Aggies blew a 21-7 second-quarter lead, but moved ahead 31-28 on quarterback Chuckie Keeton’s second rushing touchdown of the game, a 7-yarder with 11:20 remaining. Robert Turbin’s 1-yard touchdown run with 3:38 left pushed Utah State’s lead to 10.
The last defending national champion to lose its season opener was Michigan, which split the 1997 national title with Nebraska. The Wolverines lost to Notre Dame in the 1998 opener. Only three defending national champs in the past 25 years have lost their season opener.
Trotter completed 17-of-23 passes for 261 yards and three touchdowns. Dyer rushed for 57 yards and two scores.
Turbin rushed for 70 yards and two touchdowns for the Aggies.
Auburn opens SEC play Saturday at home against Mississippi State. Utah State hosts Weber State on Saturday.
Top Game Performances
Receiving
| Utah State |
|
Auburn |
|
Matt Austin
| Player |
Emory Blake
|
|
6 |
Receptions |
3 |
|
67 |
Yards |
95 |
|
11.2 |
Avg Yards |
31.7 |
|
0 |
Touchdowns |
1 |
|
0 |
Long |
0 |
Team Stats Summary
| |
Yards |
Scoring |
Defense |
| Team |
Tot |
Rus |
Pas |
TD |
FG |
INT |
Sck |
FF |
| Utah State
|
448 |
227 |
221 |
5 |
1 |
0 |
2.0 |
0 |
| Auburn
|
364 |
78 |
286 |
5 |
0 |
0 |
1.0 |
0 |