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AUBURN, ALA. -- After a wild and difficult four quarters, the Utah St. Aggies fell to the Tigers of Auburn 42-38. In a game that was closer than most expected and the Aggies performed as well as head coach Gary Andersen could have hoped. There were questions answered and observations made:
Observation 1:
The big question for both Utah St. and Auburn was how would their first time starting quarterback handle the pressure of division one football. Without a doubt Aggie true-freshman quarterback Chuckie Keeton performed like a three-year letter winner going 23-32 for 226 yards with no touchdowns but more importantly, zero interceptions. Keeton also rushed for 33 yards on eight carries and two touchdowns. The bad news for Aggie faithful was red-shirt junior quarterback Barrett Trotter went 17-23 for 261 yards, three touchdowns and also zero interceptions. Coach Andersen has a lot of hope for this season and the future with Keeton at the helm.
Observation 2:
The Utah St. defense will win (and lose) games this season. Senior linebackers Bobby Wagner and Kyle Gallagher led this defense by making play after play, holding the Tigers to a combined 78 yards rushing. The Achilles Heel for this Aggie defense will be the secondary. Will they be able to make plays? They weren't able to against Auburn and the big pass play is what cost the Aggies today.
Observation 3:
Utah St. will be able to run the ball. The Aggie offensive line won't blow anyone away, but their experience was key today. Not only did they create deep pockets for their true-freshman quarterback, but huge holes for the running backs. The Aggies ran for a combined 215 yards against the Tigers while junior running back Robert Turbin led the team with 70 yards on 22 carries and two touchdowns. Junior running back / wide receiver Kerwynn Williams also had a big day out of the backfield rushing for 69 yards on just ten carries and a touchdown. Add in Keeton's two rushing scores and the Aggies had a staggering five rushing touchdowns against Auburn. Give a lot of credit to the veteran offensive line for impressing their will on the opposing defense.
Observation 4:
Coach Andersen might want to run a few more special teams plays in practice. The Aggies were burned for a kick-return for a touchdown and a successful onside kick that led to the game winning score for Auburn. Redshirt freshman Josh Thompson was perfect on the day completing 5-5 extra points and hit from 34 yards out, but without those two special team blunders, Utah St. most likely would have left for Logan with their first road victory over a top-25 team in school history.
Observation 5:
Gary Andersen is a gutsy head coach. The Aggies were 3-3 in fourth down conversions, of which included a QB sneak for a score and a fake field goal. Late in the fourth quarter, just minutes left on the clock ,Andersen was pressed into a tough decision, fourth and eight on the Auburn ten-yard line. Utah St. lined up for a field goal, but junior wide receiver Stanley Morrison performed the fake perfectly by firing a pass to sophomore tight end D.J. Tialavea for a first down at the Auburn two-yard line. Two plays later junior running back Robert Turbin rushed for the one-yard touchdown and gave the Aggies a ten-point 38-28 lead with just 3:38 left on the clock.
Today the Aggies couldn't close the door on the defending national champion Auburn Tigers, but Aggie fans in Logan and across the country should be proud and look forward to a fun season. Last season coach Andersen said "There are no moral victories whatsoever," but that doesn't mean there can't be learning experiences in defeat.
Email: onlinesports@ksl.com
