Instant Analysis: Auburn gains late momentum, steals win from California

Auburn’s California dream almost ended in a nightmare.

In a game plagued by turnovers and poor offensive play, Auburn caught momentum late and rode it to victory. A late touchdown followed by an interception in the final two minutes lifts Auburn to a 14-10 win over California late Saturday night.

Auburn (2-0) trailed 10-7 with 6:31 remaining in the game before quarterback Payton Thorne connected with tight end Rivaldo Fairweather for a touchdown pass to give the Tigers the lead. Later in the quarter, California (1-1) forced and recovered a fumble which gave them one final opportunity to steal a win. However, DJ James picked off Steven Jackson’s pass in the end zone with 1:44 remaining to secure the victory.

“A win is a win” head coach Hugh Freeze said following the game on the ESPN broadcast.

Auburn’s first drive set the tone for the evening. On 3rd down, quarterback Payton Thorne fumbled the football before stepping out of bounds. California’s Jackson Sirmon recovered the fumble with 13:33 remaining in the 1st quarter to give the Bears great field position at the Auburn 35-yard line.

Cal would respond by converting a seven-play drive into three points. Michael Luckhurst nailed a 39-yard field goal to give the Bears the 3-0 lead with 9:42 remaining in the first.

The quarter would end with Auburn obtaining three drives. Two ended on punts, and one would end on a fumble. The Tigers managed to gain just 32 yards of offense in the first quarter, trailing 3-0.

It took Auburn several drives to return the favor, but they managed to record a turnover of their own in the 2nd quarter. Auburn’s Jalen McLeod tackled Cal’s Isaiah Ifanse, and the football was stripped away by Donovan Kaufman. Kaufman would recover the fumble at the California 17-yard line to give Auburn a new set of downs with 13:01 remaining in the first half.

Like California in the first quarter, Auburn turned a fumble into a score. On the third play of the drive, Thorne connected with jay fair for the second time this season for a score. This time, Thorne dialed up a 13-yard strike to Fair to give Auburn the 7-3 lead with 11:50 in the 2nd quarter.

The trend continued later in the quarter, as California turned another turnover into points. Damari Alston fumbled the football with 7:20 remaining in the quarter to, unfortunately, end a positive drive at that point. Running back Jadyn Ott rushed for a 14-yard score to push the Bears ahead, 10-7.

Thorne was responsible for Auburn’s third turnover of the game. California’s Nohl Williams picked off Thorne with less than two minutes remaining in the first half to set up the Bears’ final drive of the 2nd quarter. The Bears planned to end the half by kicking a last-second field goal. However, a holding penalty erased the kick, forcing the Bears to try one last play from scrimmage. California quarterback Steven Jackson V threw a desperation pass to the end zone, which landed in the hands of Jaylin Simpson. He returned the pick to the Auburn 25-yard line to cap the first half.

The Tigers gained just 99 yards of total offense in the first half while committing three turnovers. Auburn had just four first downs and converted 1-of-6 third down opportunities. Defensively, the Tigers allowed 129 yards of offense and created two turnovers.

The third quarter featured less action than the previous two. California needed two possessions to set themselves up for a scoring opportunity. The Bears began a nine-play drive with 5:57, which ended in a missed 42-yard field goal to keep the score 10-7 heading into the 4th quarter.

After several frustrating drives that resulted in zero points, Auburn found the end zone again with 6:31 remaining in the 4th quarter. Thorne tossed his second touchdown pass of the game to tight end Rivaldo Fairweather to push Auburn ahead, 14-10. The play was set up by a pass interference call on the Bears two plays prior.

Turnovers woes continued for Auburn on its next possession. Hunter fumbled on the Tigers’ second play from scrimmaged, and it was recovered by Cal’s Ricky Correia for the fourth turnover of the game.

However, that turnover did not plague Auburn as others had done before. On the sixth play of California’s ensuing drive, DJ James picked off Jackson in the end zone to regain possession.

Auburn finished behind California in total yards, 273-230. The Tigers also had fewer first downs than California, and ran 23 fewer plays. Those stats go in-line with the time of possession battle, which Auburn lost by nearly 10 minutes (34:48 for California opposed to 25:12 for Auburn).

Thorne completed 9-of-14 passes for 94 yards and two touchdowns with one interception. Fairweather hauled in three passes for 39 yards and a score. In his return to action, Jarquez Hunter rushed for 53 yards on 11 carries.

Auburn returns to Jordan-Hare Stadium next Saturday to face Samford. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. CT.

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Story originally appeared on Auburn Wire