The primer: Previewing Auburn’s game against Cal

AUBURN — Hugh Freeze and Auburn football (1-0) will travel to Cal (1-0) on Saturday, September 9, for a late-night kickoff scheduled for 7:30 PT/ 9:30 pm CT. The game will be televised on ESPN. The broadcast crew will be Dave Fleming, Brock Osweiler and Kayla Burton. The betting line fluctuated between Auburn being a 5-point favorite to 6.5-point favorite during the week.

Check out this three-section preview to get you ready for the game.

Asked and answered: Auburn personnel questions, concerns entering the Cal game

Takeaways from Hugh Freeze on SEC teleconference: Confirming Austin Keys’ injury and more

What we’ve learned, what we don’t know yet about Auburn after Week 1

Takeaways from Hugh Freeze during the Monday press conference

Three big storylines ahead of Auburn vs. Cal

What to expect from Auburn’s defense against Cal

What to expect from Auburn’s offense against Cal

Scouting report: What to expect from Cal’s defense

Scouting report: What to expect from Cal’s offense

Three storylines to monitor

Different week, same question. Will Jarquez Hunter play?

Hunter was unavailable for the UMass game and when Freeze was asked about Hunter’s status heading into the Cal game, he avoided answering the question directly. Instead, Freeze said there’s a “long list” of players who are questionable, lumping Hunter’s name in with players like Nick Mardner, Austin Keys, Jalen McLeod and Nehemiah Pritchett. If Hunter doesn’t play, the running back rotation will be the same as the opener. Damari Alston, Brian Battie and then Jeremiah Cobb. Hunter has been available to practice, but sources indicate that whether he plays or not isn’t a Freeze decision. It’s a university decision. So, we wait.

Can Auburn stop the run?

The struggles of the Tigers’ rush defense are well documented. The group was 97th last season in stopping the run, and finished among the nation’s worst in allowing yards before contact. During a six-game span last season against Penn State, Missouri, LSU, Georgia, Ole Miss and Arkansas, the Tigers allowed 185 yards rushing or more on five occasions, giving up over five yards per carry in four of the six games. The rush defense hit rock bottom last season against Georgia, Ole Miss and Arkansas, allowing 292, 448 and 276 yards in consecutive weeks and surrendering 13 rushing touchdowns. The season finished allowing 175 yards rushing and over five yards per carry to Alabama. Then Owen Pappoe, Derick Hall and Colby Wooden departed for the NFL.

In the season opener against UMass, it was much of the same poor play in the first half, as Auburn allowed 6.9 yards per carry on 17 carries. However, the second 20 minutes provided some hope as the Tigers gave up 2.3 yards per carry on 10 carries. Freeze mentioned all of fall camp that he was unsure of Auburn’s ability to stop the run because the offense was having consistent success running the football. Freeze’s worries look legitimate. To make matters worse, Austin Keys is out indefinitely after having thumb surgery. And to make matters much worse, Cal and talented back Jaydn Ott come in having rushed for 347 yards against North Texas, with Ott going for 178 himself.

Auburn linebackers Larry Nixon III (30) and Eugene Asante (9) combine for the tackle against UMass on September 9, 2023. (Photo by Matt Rudolph/Auburn Live)

How will the cross-country trip impact Auburn?

Planning for the Cal game began with a site visit 18 months ago.

The Auburn team landed in California around 10 pm CT on Thursday evening after a day of classes and practice. It requires over seven hours of plane and bus travel to go from Auburn’s campus to the team hotel in San Mateo, Calif. Normally, Auburn would travel on a Friday before a road game. This trip required leaving one day earlier. On Friday, Auburn will practice at the College of San Mateo rather than drive 30 miles each way to California Memorial Stadium in Berkeley for a walk-through. Saturday will be a major “challenge,” as Freeze described it. Managing that day and making sure the team is rested and paced properly for a 9:30 pm CT kickoff isn’t something to be taken for granted.

It will tie for the latest kickoff in the history of Auburn football. The Tigers kicked off at 9:30 pm CT when they played at Arizona in 1976. Playing on the road is a mental challenge always. Add in cross-country travel and a two-time-zone difference, and there are some physical challenges that come into play, too. It’ll be interesting to see if there’s any effect at all.

Also, talking aftermath, Auburn likely won’t roll back into campus until 8 or 9 am CT on Sunday morning when you take into account getting to the airport, loading the plane, flying to Montgomery, Ala., then busing back to campus. Who knows what condition the team will be in on Sunday as the team turns around and begins preparation for Samford the following Saturday.

Bonus note: Cal quarterback Sam Jackson comes into the game a little banged up. He’s probable, but not 100 percent. He’s the more athletic of the two quarterbacks, however the backup is capable. Ben Finley transferred to Cal from N.C. State and led the Wolfpack to a win over North Carolina in 2022, throwing for 270 yards and two touchdowns. Jackson is the more dangerous and unpredictable, but both present different issues. I’m sure Auburn would rather see a stationary quarterback, but Cal has the potential of moving the football with either.

Three Auburn players to watch

Robby Ashford, QB

The Oregon transfer and Hoover, Ala. native scored three rushing touchdowns in the season opener against UMass, giving him seven rushing touchdowns in his last five games. Freeze called Ashford “vital” to Auburn’s offensive success following the 59-14 win. “Red-zone Robby,” as he’s quickly become known as, undoubtedly brings a different element to the Tigers’ attack. Moving forward, what will Ashford’s role be outside of the red zone? Can Ashford and the Auburn offensive front replicate the movement that created on Ashford’s three rushing touchdowns against Cal this weekend? To win this season, Auburn’s going to have

Larry Nixon III, LB

With the thumb injury and subsequent surgery to Keys, the pressure on North Texas transfer Nixon was just elevated. Nixon III is listed as the backup middle linebacker and will play significantly more snaps in Week 2 versus the 23 snaps played in Week 1. Nixon III tallied over 100 tackles last season at North Texas and is one of the few defenders on Auburn’s roster with over 100 career tackles. He will be put to the test right away against a good Cal rushing attach and elusive back in Ott. There’s also the added challenge of containing an athletic quarterback in Cal’s Sam Jackson.

Keionte Scott, DB

Scott, a native of San Diego, Calif., returns to his home state on Saturday night. Most of his teammates have likely never been to California, but Scott should feel at home on the west coast. In the opener, Scott forced a quick throw that turned into a pick-six, finished with four total tackles, and notched a 57-yard punt return. There’s a reason Scott is on the team’s Culture Council, as both his on and off-the-field exploits are tremendously valuable to this Auburn team. Scott talked earlier in the week about being motivated going “home” to California. I’d expect the nickel back to play inspired football.

Auburn defensive back Keionte Scott closes in on a tackle against UMass on September 2, 2023. (Photo by Matt Rudolph/Auburn Live)

Three notes to keep in mind

Auburn is 27-1 since the 2013 season in games when scoring a non-offensive touchdown, the latest being the pick-six by Jaylin Simpson against UMass. The lone loss was the 2020 Outback Bowl against Minnesota, when Noah Igbinoghene returned a kickoff 97 yards for a touchdown in the 31-24 loss. Before that loss, the Tigers had won 21 straight games when scoring a non-offensive touchdown.

It’s going to be a historical day. Auburn and Cal have never played each other in football. Each will have an opportunity to go 1-0 against the other. And it will be only the fourth time ever the Tigers have played in California. Auburn is 0-3 in the previous three games, losing to Santa Clara in 1936, USC in 2002 and Florida State (BCS national title) in 2014.

The Tigers are 10-3 all-time and 0-2 on the road against current members of the Pac-12 Conference, including Arizona (2-1), Colorado (1-0), Oregon (2-0), Oregon State (1-0), Southern Cal (1-2), Washington (1-0) and Washington State (2-0). Auburn is on a four-game winning streak against the Pac-12 Conference, defeating Washington State in 2006 and 2013, Washington to start the 2018 season and defeating Oregon to start the 2019 season.

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