Utah State football: Aggies lose heartbreaker to Auburn

AUBURN, Ala. For a few fleeting moments, it appeared Utah State might be celebrating the biggest win in program history, a road win over the defending BCS champion Auburn Tigers.

Instead, they were left wondering what might have been.

No. 23 Auburn (1-0) rallied from a 10-point deficit with two touchdowns in the final four minutes to stun the Aggies (0-1), 42-38, at Jordan-Hare Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

In the defining moments, Auburn executed, and we couldnt execute, Aggies coach Gary Andersen said. I think if you sit down and look at it again, its not lack of effort or lack of want-to. It is tremendous athletes.

For much of the game the tremendous athletes appeared to be on Utah States side, as the Aggies largely dominated both lines of scrimmage in racking up 227 yards rushing and limiting Auburn to just 78.

I felt like we were stronger than them, inside linebacker Bobby Wagner said. I felt like we were faster than them. But I felt like they made plays when they needed to, and we didnt.

But after Utah State took a 38-28 lead on a 1-yard touchdown run with 3:38 remaining in the game, things quickly unraveled.

The Tigers drove 65 yards in six plays in just 1:31to pull within three on a 15-yard touchdown pass from Barrett Trotter to Philip Lutzenkirchen.

Auburn kicker Chandler Brooks then perfectly placed an onside kick to a leaping Emory Blake, giving the Tigers the ball near midfield.

I havent been in a situation like that since high school , Brooks said. This was big. I have been preparing for this for three years. We have worked on it and we executed.

You cant put it all on the coaches, Turbin said. We practice over and over with onside kick situations. I am on the hands team. We have been over it countless times and we just have to do a better job and be more prepared.

Eight plays and 1:37 later, Michael Dyer bulled into the end zone from a yard out to give the Tigers the lead and the win.

I thought the offense was basically exceptional all day long, Andersen said. They did exactly what they had to do to win the game. Special teams and defense at the end did not.

Utah State could take some positives from the game, however.