Cal Game Thread: Bears Pull Stunner With 21-14 Victory at Auburn

Fernando Mendoza throws 2 TDs to Nyziah Hunter, Cal's defense forces five turnovers

Fernando Mendoza hands off to running back Jaydn Ott / Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

Cal pulled off a stunner at Auburn - nearly a two-touchdown favorite - winning 21-14 in front of a capacity crowd of 88,043 at Jordan-Hare Stadium on Saturday.

Fernando Mendoza threw two first-half touchdown passes to redshirt freshman wide receiver Nyziah Hunter and the defense, led by Nohl Williams and Teddye Buchanan, forced five Auburn turnovers.

Cal improved to 2-0 and avenged its 14-10 loss at home to the Tigers last season. Auburn droppepd to 1-1 after routing FCS Alabama A&M 73-3 last week.

Here's our game thread:

The status of offensive linemen Sioape Vatikani and Will McDonald and wide receivers Tobias Merriweather and Kyion Grayes is uncertain. Update: All four have been ruled out.

Coin flip: Cal wins the toss and defers. Bears will kick off.

14:18 1st Q: It appeared Cal got a huge early break after a pass by Payton Thorne was deflected into the hands of ILB Cade Uluave, who ran it in for a touchdown. On the official review, it was clear the ball hit the turf. Ruled incomplete. Cal 0, Auburn 0.

11:42 1st Q: Quarterback Payton Thorne throws a 15-yard touchdown pass to KeAndre Lambert-Smith, a trasnfer from Penn State. The big play on the drive, besides the official reversal of the Cal pick-6, was Thorne's 41-yard completion to freshman wideout Cam Coleman. The PAT kick was good. Auburn 7, Cal 0.

7:17 1st Q: Cal answers decisively, marching 75 yards in eight plays with Fernando Mendoza passing 19 yards to redshirt freshman WR Nyziah Hunter for the touchdown. Mendoza was 6 for 6 for 76 yards on the drive (which included a 5-yard false start penalty against Cal). Ott got the start at running back and carried once for 2 yards. PAT was good. Cal 7, Auburn 7.

END OF 1ST QTR: Cal begins the second quarter with a third-and-3 play from the Auburn 23. Cal took over at its own 48 after stopping Auburn on a fourth-and-2 play. Mendoza completed his first eight pass attempts for 95 yards then threw the ball away on Cal's most recent snap. The Tigers are stacking their defense to stop Ott, who has had nowhere to run and has minus-2 yards on three carries. Cal 114 total yards, Auburn 109. Cal 7, Auburn 7.

12:15 2nd Q: Ryan Coe's 25-yard field goal hits the right upright, spoiling a great scoring opportunity. You'll remember Cal missed 3 field goals a year ago against Auburn. Coe is a transfer to Cal this season. The drive included the Bears' third false start penalty of the half, perhaps an indication the crowd noise at Jordan-Hare Stadium is having an impact. Cal 7, Auburn 7.

10:39 2nd Q: After cornerback Nohl Williams intercepts Thorne and returns it 14 yards to the Auburn 21, Cal scores in three plays with Mendoza hitting Hunter with a 13-yard TD completion. It's the redshirt freshman's second TD catch of the game. Mendoza is 12 for 13 for 133 yards and two TDs. As well as Mendoza is playing, we wonder out loud of Chandler Rogers will get into this game. Cal 14, Auburn 7.

HALFTIME: Cal 14, Auburn 7. Cal's defense held Auburn scoreless after the opening drive of the game and the Cal offense played turnover-free football in a hostile environment. Mendoza, who certainly appears to have nailed down the starting QB job, was 19 for 21 for 205 yards and a pair of TD passes to Nyziah Hunter, a redshirt freshman from Salinas. Ott carried 7 times for 11 yards against a defense lined up to stop the run.

The Bears outgained Auburn 222 yards and 178 and converted 7 of 10 third-down opportunities. The time of possession was heavily in Cal's favor: 20:32 to 9:28.

Cal will get the ball to start the third quarter.

4:53 3rd Q: Auburn has done a much better job of pressuring Mendoza, and the Bears have been forced to punt on their first two possessions. But Lachlan Wilson has dropped both punts at the Auburn 2-yard line, which is where the Tigers will begin their next possession. Cal 14, Auburn 7.

END OF 3RD QTR: Redshirt freshman Ja'ir Smith, who earlier had a sack, intercepts Thorne on the final play of the third quarter, giving Cal possession at the Auburn 47. Ryan McCulloch had pressure o Thorne, contributing to a poor pass. Cal's second takeaway. Cal 14, Auburn 7.

12:55 4th Q: Cal got to the 37-yard line after the takeaway then sent Ryan Coe out to try a 55-yard field goal. He had the distance but the kick was wide right. Auburn continues to pressure Mendoza, who is 5 for 14 in the second half after going 19 for 21 in the first half Cal 14, Auburn 7.

11:27 4th Q: Transfer LB Teddye Buchanan, who is having a spectacular game, rips the ball loose from Auburn RB Jarquez Hunter and safety Craig Woodson recovers at the Tigers' 32-yard line. Cal's third defensive takeaway - the Bears' offense has not turned the ball over. Two plays later, sophomore RB Javian Thomas bursts through the right side of the line, untouched, and races 32 yards into the end zone. The PAT was good. Cal 21, Auburn 7.

6:06 4th Q: Payton Thorne scores on a 2-yarder keeper after a 75-yard drive that featured a personal foul targeting call (and ejection) against cornerback Marcus Harris and two pass interference penalties in the end zone against Nohl Williams. Cal 21, Auburn 14.

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Some pregame reading: 

— Our usual thorough game preview, with pretty much everything you need to know

— QB Chandler Rogers says he has experienced atmospheres just like what the Bears will face at Jordan-Hare Stadium

— An Auburn beat writer answers our 5 Questions about the Tigers

— We boldly make our weekly game picks on Cal and every ACC team

— Former Cal quarterback Sam Jackson V, now at Auburn, talks about his experience at Berkeley and how the teams match up

— Check out how the bowl experts view Cal’s postseason chances

— Cornerback Nohl Williams keeps finding the end zone for the Bears