Cal Football Game Preview: Bears Travel to Auburn

Two quarterbacks expected to play for the Bears. Jaydn Ott statusn is a game-time decision. The point spread on the game has been bouncing around.

Auburn quarterback Payton Thorne scores a touchdown against Alabama A&M / John Reed-Imagn Images

Cal plans to have Fernando Mendoza and Chandler Rogers share playing time at quarterback again in the Bears’ first road game on Saturday at Auburn’s sold-out Jordan-Hare Stadium.

The point spread for the game has been bouncing around. At the start of the week Auburn was favored by 11.2 points. The spread jumped to 14 points at many betting sites on Monday night when it appeared Jaydn Ott might not play. Then it came back down to 12.5 points when Justin Wilcox said Tuesday that Ott was “probable” for the game. The spread rose again to 13.5 points on SI Sportsbook and most other sites on Thursday, but on Friday morning the spread was back down to 12.5 points on SI Sportsbook. By Friday night the spread was down further to 11.5 points, which is where it started.

Ott is a game-time decision whether he will play against Auburn.

Here are the important facts about Saturday’s game.

CAL (1-0) vs. AUBURN (1-0)

SITE: Jordan-Hare Stadium, Auburn, Alabama

WHEN: Saturday, 12:30 p.m. Pacific time (2:30 p.m. Central time)

TV: ESPN2 – Dave Flemming (play-by-play), Brock Osweiler (analyst), Stormy Buonantony (sideline)

RADIO: 810 AM and Sirius XM Radio (Sirius XM 113 and 202) -- Justin Allegri (play-by-play), Mike Pawlawski (analyst), Kevin Danna (sideline reporter)

BETTING LINE: Auburn is favored by 11.5 points by SI Sportsbook as of Saturday morning. (Some betting sites have a point spread of 12 or 12.5 points) The over/under is 52.5 points.

WEATHER FORECAST: Saturday afternoon in Auburn, Alabama, will be partly cloudy with a high of 84 degrees and humidity of 71%. There is a 13% chance of rain during the day increasing to a 22% chance at night.

CAL-AUBURN: Cal and Auburn have faced each other only once in football, and that was last season when Auburn won 14-10 in Berkeley.

CAL PLAYER AVAILABILTY: Guard Sioape Vatikani, receiver Tobias Merriweather, receiver Kyion Grayes and center Will McDonald are projected starters who are questionable with injuries.  All four missed last week's game. Cal running back Jaydn Ott injured his ankle last Saturday against UC Davis, and he is considered a game-time decision whether he will play against Auburn. but he will probably play against Auburn. Outside linebacker David Reese and tight end Jack Endries will probably play too.

CAL STORYLINES:

--Cal is again planning to play two quarterbacks – Fernando Mendoza and Chandler Rogers. Cal coaches planned to give them equal playing time in the opener, but Mendoza ended up getting the majority of the snaps. Again coaches plan to give Mendoza and Rogers equal playing time this week, and since Mendoza started and received most of the playing time in the opener, it’s possible that Rogers will get the start against Auburn.

--Saturday’s game is Cal’s first true test of the season. Last week’s 31-13 victory came against an FCS school (UC Davis) AND THE Bears were not particularly impressive in that game.  This is also Cal’s first road game, and the Bears will have to travel 2,100 for this contest, and that is comparable to the distance Cal will have to fly for many of its ACC road games.

--Cal running back Jaydn Ott, a first-team all-Pac-12 selection last year, had just 49 rushing yards in the opener against UC Davis, and he left that game in the third quarter with an apparent ankle injury.  He will probably play against Auburn, but it remains to be seen whether he can have a big game against an SEC defense. He rushed for 78 yards against Auburn last year, but left the game in the third quarter with an injury.

--Cal had no sacks against an FCS school last week, and the Bears need apply pressure on Auburn quarterback Payton Thorne to be effective.

--Cal lost last year’s game to Auburn 14-10 in Berkeley, even though Cal had more yards or total offense and more first downs and forced four Auburn turnovers. The Bears had the ball at the Auburn 15-yard line late in the game but failed to convert.  Cal’s defense stacked the line of scrimmage to stop the run, and it worked for the most part limiting the Tigers to 14 points. Auburn quarterback Payton Thornton was unable to hurt Cal through the air, recording just 94 passing yards.

--Cal’s projected starters at wide receiver – Notre Dame transfer Tobias Merriweather and Ohio State transfer Kyion Grayes – did not play last week because of injuries, and it is uncertain whether they will play this week.

--Cal is hoping to start the season 2-0 for the fifth time in Justin Wilcox’s eight seasons as head coach.

--Saturday’s game will be Cal’s first game ever at Auburn’s Jordan-Hare Stadium, which has a capacity of 88,043.  The Tigers drew 88,043 for last week’s game against Alabama A&M.

AUBURN STORYLINES

--Auburn is second in the nation in scoring and second in scoring margin following its season-opening, 73-3 victory over Alabama A&M. It could have been more lopsided but the coaches agreed at halftime to play 10-minute quarters in the second half.

--Auburn’s first five home games, including Saturday’s game against Cal, are sellouts. Jordan-Hare Stadium has a seating capacity of 88,043, and it is loud. The Auburn War Eagle traditionally flies around the stadium just before each game. Here is the Eagle's flight before last week's game against Alabama A&M:

--Auburn wide receiver Sam Jackson V was Cal’s starting quarterback in three games last season, including the season opener. Jackson caught a touchdown pass for Auburn in the Tigers’ 2024 season opener.

--Auburn went 6-7 last season, including 3-5 in the SEC.  The Tigers were  1-4 in conference home games last season, but three of those four losses were by a touchdown or less.  That includes a 27-20 loss to Georgia, a 28-21 loss to Mississippi and a 27-24 loss to Alabama, which pulled out that game by scoring a touchdown on a fourth-and-goal play from the 31-yard line with 32 seconds remaining.

--Auburn running back Jarquez Hunter was a preseason first-team all-SEC selection this year after rushing for 909 yards in 12 games last season. He had just four carries last week against Alabama A&M, but rushed for 53 yards, an average of 13.3 yards per attempt.

--Tigers quarterback Payton Thornton is in his fourth season as a college starter.  He started for two seasons at Michigan State before coming to Auburn prior to last season.  He was 9-for-14 for 94 yards, two touchdown and one interception against Cal last year.

--Hugh Freeze is in his second season as Auburn’s head coach. He previously had been the head coach at Arkansas State, Mississippi and Liberty before taking the Auburn job.

--Auburn was picked to finish 10th in the SEC in the 2024 preseason media poll. The Tigers finished fifth in the seven-team SEC West Division last year.  They have 800 all-time wins – 13th-most among FBS schools.

---An Auburn beat writer answers five questions about the Tigers---

CAL PLAYERS TO WATCH: QB Fernando Mendoza (15-for-22, 1 TD last week); QB Chandler Rogers (3-for-6, 21 yards last week); RB Jaydn Ott (preseason first-team all-ACC); CB Nohl Williams (kickoff return for a TD, interception last week); ILB Cade Uluave (8 tackles, interception last week); OLB Xavier Carlton (key to Cal’s pass rush)

AUBURN PLAYERS TO WATCH: QB Payton Thorne (4 TD passes, 0 interceptions last week); RB Jarquez Hunter (second-team all-SEC last season); WR Keandre Lambert-Smith (Penn State transfer, 80 receiving yards, 2 TDs last week); CB Keionte Scott (standout cover man and kickoff returner); LB Eugene Asante (12 tackles, 1 sack vs. Cal last year); WR Sam Jackson V (started 3 games at quarterback for Cal last season)

CAL STATISTICS: Click here

CAL NOTES, DEPTH CHART: Click Here

AUBURN STATISTICS: Click here

JAKE'S PICK: Auburn 24, Cal 14

JEFF'S PICK:  Auburn 28, Cal 21

DANIEL LOCKE’S PICK (Auburn Tigers on SI): Auburn 38, Cal 13

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