Five reasons Auburn beats California on the road

Auburn could be set to break the California losing trend..

Steve Simpson | Sep 8, 2023

Five reasons Auburn beats California on the road /

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The Auburn Tigers are making the long, cross-country trip to the Golden State to take on the Cal Bears. Auburn has only played in California four times and has come up on the short end of the scoreboard each time. That will change this weekend. Here are several reasons why the Tigers will get their fist win on the West coast Saturday night in Berkley.

1. Depth of interior linemen

Jayson Jones vs UMass - Eric Starling/Auburn Daily — Eric Starling/Auburn Daily

Similar to last week, Auburn should be able to dominate the line of scrimmage against a smaller and less talented group from Cal. The offensive line should be able to open plenty of holes for the backs. The defensive line should be able to take advantage of a backup center for Cal after the loss of starting center Matthew Cindric.

2. Passing Game

Payton Thorne vs UMass - Eric Starling/Auburn Daily — Eric Starling/Auburn Daily

Hugh Freeze will fix the communication errors from last week. Look for Peyton Thorne and the receiving corps to have a breakout game against the Golden Bears. Tigers will improve on the 203 yards passing last week and approach the 300+ yard mark.

3. Defensive Backs

Jaylin Simpson vs UMass — Eric Starling/Auburn Daily

Should Auburn's defensive line struggle to contain Cal's super super confident running back Jadyn Ott, their secondary is an experienced, good tackling group. They would also be able to contain Cal's receivers limiting the passing attack.

4. Special Teams

Brian Battie vs UMass — Eric Starling/Auburn Daily

Brian Battie may get his first kick-off return TD as a Tiger in this game. He will certainly set up the offense in good field position. Oscar Chapman should be able to keep the Bears backed up when Auburn has to punt. Alex McPherson, well he will get a chance to kick at least one field goal.

5. Turnovers

These are a key to any game, but especially important on the road. Auburn did a great job of staying turnover free last week and they will need to do that again this week. Turnovers are the only way the Bear's can stay in the game and they don't need any extra possessions to give them hope. Should the Tigers turn the ball over more than once, it could become a long night in Berkley.

Auburn and Cal kickoff at 10:30pm EST on ESPN.