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Tigers Come From Behind In Final Minutes, Down Utah State 42-38
Dyer Scores Game-Winning TD
AUBURN, Ala. - Auburn
used a pair of minute-and-a-half scoring drives late in the fourth
quarter to overcome a 10 point deficit and defeat Utah State, 42-38, in
the season-opening game of the 2011 football season at Jordan-Hare
Stadium. Barrett Trotter was 17-for-23 for 261 yards and three
touchdowns through the air in his first career start while Michael Dyer
led Auburn with 57 rushing yards.
Trailing 38-28 with 3:38
remaining in the game after a Robert Turbin rushing touchdown for Utah
State, Auburn covered 65 yards in just six plays to draw within three,
38-35. Trotter was 3-for-4 for 62 yards on the drive, capped off by a
Philip Lutzenkirchen 15 yards touchdown catch.
Auburn
successfully converted an onside kick following the Lutzenkirchen
score, with Emory Blake recovering the kick. That set up Auburn on its
own 44 with 2:07 left in the game. Trotter was again 3-for-4 on the
drive, covering 29 yards, while Onterio McCalebb rushed it three times
for 26 yards, setting up Dyer for a one yard touchdown run up the
middle for the game-winning score.
Auburn had to rally from a
14 point deficit midway through the second quarter, trailing 21-7 after
the first of two Turbin (22 rushes, 70 yards) touchdown runs.
Tre
Mason sparked the comeback with his 97 yard kickoff return following
the Turbin touchdown, drawing Auburn to within a touchdown, 21-14, a
score that would hold into halftime.
Dyer tied the game at
21-21 on Auburn's first possession of the second half, running it in
from the 11 yard line to complete an 11 play, 65-yard drive.
Auburn
had five touchdown drives and only one lasted more than three minutes,
it being the drive out of the half which lasted just 3:46. Three of the
other four were just over a minute-and-a-half while the other lasted
2:55.
Chuckie Keeton was 21-for-30 for 213 yards for Utah
State while Turbin and Kerwynn Williams (10 rushes, 69 yards) combined
to rush for 139 of Utah State's 227 rushing yards.
Auburn will take on SEC foe Mississippi State on Saturday, Sept. 10, at 11:21 am at Jordan-Hare Stadium.
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