Auburn Tigers WR Ready to get Back to Work: ‘We Will Make Corrections’

Auburn wide receiver KeAndre Lambert-Smith believes the team has what it takes to get back on track after a disappointing loss against Cal.

KeAndre Lambert-Smith celebrates a touchdown vs. Cal / Photo by Austin Perryman/Auburn Tigers

Things did not go according to plan for the Auburn Tigers on Sunday.

Auburn fell 21-14 at the hands of the Cal Golden Bears at Jordan-Hare Stadium in a game that many assumed it would handle with no significant trouble.

When Cal drove down the field and scored on its first possession to even the score at seven, however, it became evident that the Golden Bears were not going down without a fight.

Mistakes plagued the Tigers, particularly on the offensive side of the ball, and they were not able to get past them.

KeAndre Lambert-Smith, a veteran wide receiver who joined Auburn via the transfer portal during the offseason, put Auburn up early with a touchdown. He took the loss hard along with the rest of the team.

“Think about how disappointed you would be if you lost,” Lambert-Smith said. “Nobody likes losing, but we are just going to get back to work, look at the film, correct our mistakes and prepare for next week.”

Cal made some changes defensively to put itself in a better position to limit the production of Auburn’s wide receivers. Lambert-Smith believes the changes were small but ultimately made a difference.

“I feel like they stopped pressing as much or manning up and press then bail,” Lambert-Smith said. “That’s about it though.”

Lambert-Smith caught two passes for 30 yards and a touchdown but was not focused on his individual performance. His mind was on the result of the game.

“We didn’t get the win so I don’t even like to speak on what I did,” Lambert-Smith said. “I’d just rather win over anything. I got nothing on my performance.

Quarterback Payton Thorne struggled, throwing four interceptions and missing open targets throughout the game. Lambert-Smith and the Tigers are still behind Thorne and believe he is capable of getting the job done.

“Just letting him (Thorne) know that the team is behind him, that we still trust him,” Lambert-Smith said on his interaction with Thorne after the game. “We know what he can do, we know what he’s capable of and it’s not just on him, it’s the offense as a collective group. We got to execute at a high level, we just didn’t do that.”

The fortunate thing for Auburn is how early in the season this loss came. There will be time for the Tigers to get back on track. Lambert-Smith believes the team is capable of righting the ship.

“That is when we have to watch film to figure that out,” Lambert-Smith said. “I’m just worried about what we are doing when the ball is in the air. We will make corrections, watch film and make corrections.”