Cal Golden Bears Beat Down Auburn Tigers on the Plains

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On Sept. 7 at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Ala., the Cal Golden Bears (2-0) dominated the Auburn Tigers (1-1), securing a 21-14 victory in a game not as close as suggested by the final score. Cal quarterback Fernando Mendoza completed 25 of 26 passes for 282 yards and 2 touchdowns, but it was the Cal defense that won the day.

Game Summary

Scoring in the game commenced with a controversial call by the referees. Auburn wide receiver KeAndre Lambert-Smith went out of bounds, but came back in, receiving a pass from quarterback Payton Thorne, dotting the end zone with his tiptoes. Cal head coach Justin Wilcox vehemently objected to the call, but, after video replay review, the controversial call was upheld.

Early on in the game, Cal safety Craig Woodson set the tone early for the Golden Bears' defense, delivering bone-jarring hits on Auburn receivers.

Furthermore, Cal's elite defensive back Nohl Williams grabbed 2 interceptions.

Throughout the game, Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze and the Tigers' defense keyed in on star Cal running back Jadyn Ott. While the Tigers held the injured Ott in check, they did not sufficiently contain the other key weapons in the Golden Bears' offense.

Stepping up for the injured Ott, Cal running back Javian Thomas delivered a stellar performance, rushing for 53 yards and 1 TD, and contributing to the Cal air attack with 2 key receptions. Redshirt freshman wide receiver Nyziah Hunter delivered a clutch performance with 4 receptions, 2 of which were for TDs.

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Cal's talented Australian punter, Lachlan Wilson, pinned Auburn deep in its own territory with two terrific punts in the third quarter.

Pivotal Moment for Golden Bears

Auburn made a questionable decision with approximately five minutes remaining in the first quarter, going for it on fourth-and-2 near midfield. The Cal defense stopped the Tigers' fourth-down play, then took the ball and drove deep into Auburn territory, but missed a chip shot field goal. Undeterred, the Golden Bears picked off a Thorne pass on the very next play. They then marched back down the field and scored a touchdown, taking a 17-14 lead early in the second quarter.

From that point onward, Cal never looked back, handling the Tigers before a disappointed Auburn home crowd.

Ramifications

With this game and LSU's loss to USC in Week 1, the Southeastern Conference is not looking as strong as some thought the conference might be.

In Week 3, Auburn will host the New Mexico Lobos of the Mountain West Conference.

The Golden Bears' next game is a clash with the San Diego State Aztecs, also of the MWC.