Tag: Auburn Tigers

Cal’s defense shines, as Bears pull off big early-season win at Auburn 21-14

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Cal Bears quarterback Fernando Mendoza (15) throws over the Auburn Tigers defense in the first half at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn Alabama on Sat Sep 7, 2024 (AP News photo)

Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024

Jordan-Hare Stadium

Auburn, Alabama

California Golden Bears 21 (2-0)

Auburn Tigers 14 (1-1)

Time: 3:25

Attendance: 88,043

By Stephen Ruderman

Cal’s defense shined with four interceptions, and the Bears pulled off a big 21-14 win over the Auburn Tigers in the second week of the season Saturday.

The Bears hit the road for the first time this season following their season-opening 31-13 win over the UC Davis Aggies at Memorial Stadium last weekend. With the Bears now in the Atlantic Coast Conference, despite playing mere miles from the Pacific Coast, they will have to travel over 21,000 miles this season.

The first trip the Bears would make was to Auburn, Alabama to play the Alabama Tigers of the Southeastern Conference. The Tigers beat the Bears 14-10 when they came into Memorial Stadium last year, and the two teams would square off a year later in front of the rabid Auburn fan base at Jordan-Hare Stadium.

Cal won the coin toss, but they decided to kick and defer to the second half. Auburn began their first drive at their 25 yard line, and it did not appear to be going anywhere, as they only gained a yard to get it to 3rd and 9.

However, Tigers quarterback Payton Thorne threw a complete pass to Revaldo Fairweather for a gain of 16 yards and a first down. Two plays later on 2nd and 8, Thorne threw a long 41-yard pass to Cam Coleman to get the ball to the Cal 15. Another two plays later, Thorne connected to KeAndre Lambert-Smith for a touchdown to put Auburn on the board.

Towns McGough kicked the extra point for Auburn, and Cal began their first drive. Cal made more gradual gains than Auburn made. Like Auburn, Cal would get a touchdown on the sixth play of the drive, as quarterback Fernando Mendoza completed a 19-yard pass to Nyziah Hunter to put the Bears on the board. Pat Ryan then kicked the extra point to tie it.

There was no more scoring the rest of the first quarter. The Bears’ first drive of the second quarter came up short, as Ryan missed a 25-yard field goal attempt. However, the Tigers’ first drive of the second quarter ended on the very first play, as a pass from Thorne intended for Coleman was intercepted by Nohl Williams, who ran it to the Auburn 21.

That put the Bears in perfect position. Jaydn Ott rushed for eight yards on the two plays to get it to the 13. On 3rd and 2, Mendoza completed to Hunter, and the Bears took the lead. Ryan kicked the extra point, and Cal was up 14-7.

The closest anyone would come to scoring the rest of the first half was when McGough tried to kick a 61-yard field goal for Auburn with two seconds to go and came up well short.

The Bears carried the 14-7 lead into the second half, but there would not be any real action at all in the third quarter. Neither team would even set foot in enemy territory the entire quarter.

Hunter fumbled the ball on the second play of Auburn’s first drive in the fourth quarter, and the ball was recovered by Craig Woodson of the Bears at the Auburn 36. On 2nd and 4, Jaivian Thomas rushed to the right for 32 yards for a touchdown. After the extra point from Ryan, Cal had opened up a 21-7 lead with 11:27 to go.

Auburn got the ball to the Cal two with 7:35 to go. The Tigers were set back five yards after a false start by Tigers’ center Connor Lew. However, Payton Thorne would eventually run to the right for a touchdown with 6:06 to go, and after the extra point, it was 21-14.

Auburn’s next two drives would both be cut short by interceptions, and the Bears held on to win for a big early-season win.

Cal is off to a 2-0 start, and they will return home to play the San Diego State Aztecs next Saturday at Memorial Stadium. Kickoff will be at 7:30 p.m.

Cal Bears podcast with Morris Phillips: Can Cal handle a hot Auburn team this Saturday?

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California running back Jaydn Ott (1) runs for a touchdown against UC Davis during the first half an NCAA college football game at Memorial Stadium in Berkeley, Calif., Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group via AP)

Cal Bears podcast with Morris Phillips:

#1 Cal Bears head coach Justin Wilcox had to be excited to get that first ACC and home opener for a win 31-13 against UC Davis at Cal Memorial last Saturday afternoon.

#2 It was Cal’s 12th straight win over UC Davis and they remain perfect against the Big Sky Conference.

#3 Morris, it was a slow and confusing start for Cal but they found their way. They did come away with a one point 14-13 lead over the Aggies after the first half.

#4 Coach Wilcox said that the first half it was a good effort but the Bears were not in any kind of rhythm as a team but said he was proud how Cal persevered in the second half scoring two touchdowns and shutting out the Aggies.

#5 Next up for Cal the Auburn Tigers. Auburn in their last game on Saturday crushed the Alabama A&M Bulldogs 73-3 there was no mercy rule that day. Auburn quarterback Payton Thorne had himself an afternoon going 13-21, 322 yards, and four touchdowns. Do you see the Golden Bears having their hands full this Saturday?

Join Morris for the Cal Bears podcasts Saturdays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Cal Bears podcast with Michael Wagaman: Cal coming off tough loss prepares for Idaho Vandals next Sat at UC Berkeley

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Auburn cornerback D.J. James (4) intercepts a pass in the end zone intended for California wide receiver Trond Grizzell, right, during the second half at Memorial Stadium in Berkeley on Sat Sep 9, 2023 (AP News photo)

On the Pac 12 podcast with Michael Wagaman:

#1 The Auburn Tigers quarterback Payton Thorne threw for five yard touchdown to wide receiver Rovaldo Fairweather this coming after the Cal Bears missed their field goal of the game.

#2 Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze gave the credit to the defense holding back Cal from getting traction on drives and keeping Bears quarterback Sam Jackson running all day.

#3 On the other side of the ball Cal kept Auburn quarterback Payton Thorne running who got 94 yards passing and threw for two touchdowns just to get by Cal 14-10.

#4 One of the positive things the Cal defense was able to hold Auburn’s offense. The Tigers were able to convert six first downs in three quarters before getting that 69 yard drive for the winning score in the middle of the fourth quarter.

#5 Cal hosts the Idaho Vandals who are coming off second win defeating the Nevada Wolf Pack 33-6 on Saturday. How do you see Cal defending against the pass of Idaho quarterback Gevani McCoy who threw for 313 yards and two touchdowns against Nevada.

Michael Wagaman is an AP beat writer and a podcast contributor at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Bears Clawed and Defeated by Tigers on the Hill, 14-10 in Home Opener

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Auburn Tigers quarterback Patrick Thorne (1) throws against the Cal Bears defense at Cal Memorial Stadium in Berkeley on Sat Sep 9, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Michael Roberson

BERKELEY, Calif — The California Golden Bears (1-1, 0-0 Pac-12) were unable to hold those Auburn Tigers (2-0, 0-0 SEC), 14-10 on Saturday night inside an excited California Memorial Stadium.

The Berkeley sky was filled with fireworks, large crowd noises, and pregame pomp and circumstance for the Golden Bears home opener against the visiting Tigers from the Southeastern Conference. The end of the game had a contrastly different tone with the four point loss.

On Auburn’s first drive, junior quarterback Payton Thorne coughed up the ball (13:33) while scrambling on Cal’s sideline. The Golden Bears capitalized on the early miscue by the southern gentlemen with a tally nearly four minutes later. Sophomore kicker Michael Luckhurst booted a 39-yard field goal to put the home team up 3-0.

Luckhurst had another opportunity to increase the advantage over the Tigers nearly two minutes later, but missed the 42-yard attempt. The Bears and Tigers spent most of the initial 15 minutes of the contest on the visitors’ side of the field. After the first stanza, 3-0 California.

The second quarter had a little more action for the fans and viewers. Two minutes into the quarter, Cal gave Auburn a gift. Bears’ redshirt senior running back Isaiah Ifanse fumbled on his own 17 yard line, giving the opponent possession in immediate scoring position. About a minute later, the Tigers took the lead on a 13-yard TD pass by Thorne to sophomore wide receiver Jay Fair.

Auburn led 7-3 for several minutes, and when they were attempting to expand the lead, sophomore running back Damari Alston had the ball knocked out of his hands by Cal’s redshirt junior safety Craig Woodson in Bears’ territory (35-yard line) and senior safety Patrick McMorris recovered the ball. California marched down the field and recaptured the lead, on a 14-yard TD run by sophomore running back Jaydn Ott (4:47).

With approximately a minute left in the first half, and a 10-7 lead in their pocket, the Bears intercepted (Nohl Williams So. CB) a pass from Thorne in Tigers territory. Cal lined up for a FG to obtain three more points at the intermission horn, but something else happened on the attempt.

The Bears kicking team was called for holding, so the 51-yard boot was nullified and they were backed up ten more yards farther from the end zone. Instead of trying a 61-yarder, the offense came back on the field.

California had one last play before recess, and it ended badly. Quarterback Sam Jackson V threw the ball into the endzone, but unfortunately it was caught by Auburn’s senior free safety Jaylin Simpson, ending the the half at 10-7, Golden Bears.

Quarter number three could have been surmised as a defensive battle, as neither team was able to affect the scoreboard. Cal once again was in position to score, but Luckhurst was unlucky and missed a 42-yard attempt with less than two minutes left in the quarter. After 45 minutes of play, the Bears kept their claws around their three-point lead (10-7).

Nearly four minutes into the final quadrant, Luckhurst missed his third FG, this time from 44 yards away from the uprights. After less than five minutes elapsed, Auburn’s Thorne tossed a five yard TD pass to junior TE Rivaldo Fairweather, putting the Tigers up by four, 14-10.

Two and a half minutes later, Auburn gave the Bears hope for a comeback victory, as their junior RB Jarquez Hunter had the ball stripped out of his hands at the visitors’ 41 yard line. Cal moved the ball and attempted a few shots to the end zone; however, the final attempt (1:44) ended with an interception. Auburn just had to let the clock run out and they could leave the Bay Area with a tough victory. At the the end of the alotted 60 minutes, the Auburn Tigers won by four, 14-10.

California HC Justin Wilcox expressed the reason his team lost, “You have to take advantage of the opportunities you get…we didn’t.”

QB Sam Jackson V was inserted into the game the second drive of the second quarter for redshirt sophomore Ben Finley. Jackson’s statline: 14-27, 126 passing yards and two interceptions. Ott rushed for 78 yards and a TD. Luckhurst was 1-4 (39) in FG attemps.

Auburn’s QB Thorne was 9-14 with 94 yards passing, two TD’s and two INT’s. TE Fairweather, 39 yards receiving & TD and WR Fair, 25 receiving yards & TD.

The Golden Bears will host Idaho next Saturday, September 16 (1 pm PDT), while the Tigers head back to Alabama to Host Samford on the same date (6 pm CST).