Auburn scores 14 in final 2:07

AUBURN, Ala. -- This resembled last season's Auburn team for about three blurry minutes. Before that, the defending national champions could barely keep up with a supposedly overmatched Utah State team.

Mike Dyer bulled through the line for a game-saving touchdown with 30 seconds left and the 23rd-ranked Tigers scored twice in the final 2:07 to escape with an opening 42-38 win over the Aggies yesterday.

Coach Gene Chizik's blunt assessment: "Offensively and defensively, we're a long way off of being able to win very many games right now."

And it showed against a team that probably should have been physically overwhelmed, but wasn't. The Tigers still pulled off their fourth comeback from a double-digit deficit in the last 13 games -- and allowed hundreds of celebrating fans to head to Toomer's Corner to roll the once-stately, now sickly oak trees that were allegedly poisoned by an Alabama fan.

"As they've done so many times since I've been here, they found a way to come back and win," Chizik said. "That's kind of been instilled in this group that you never look at the clock and the scoreboard until it says zero-zero-zero."

The Aggies (0-1) seemed poised for a stunning victory before Auburn's final rally.

First-time starting quarterback Barrett Trotter hit Philip Lutzenkirchen for a 15-yard touchdown to start a Cam Newton-like comeback. Then wide receiver Emory Blake collected the onside kick to set up the winning drive. Trotter completed three passes and Onterio McCalebb had runs of 10 and 14 yards to push the ball near the goal line. Dyer did the rest, ducking his head and powering through from a yard.

Utah State twice led by double digits against a team with 19 new starters.

Trotter had a solid starting debut, going 17-for-23 for 261 yards and three touchdowns.

-- AP