AUBURN, Ala. – The celebration is over. Yes, Hugh Freeze won his first game. Yes, Auburn scored 59 points. Yes, there was a record crowd inside Jordan-Hare Stadium. But the Tigers had to turn the page quickly because the next challenge is far more difficult.
Next Game:
at Cal
Sept. 9, 2023
9:30.m. CT
TV: ESPN
Radio: Auburn Sports Network
The Tigers will fly out to the West Coast this week to take on Cal in what will be the first meeting between the two schools. It will mark only the fourth time Auburn has played a game in the state of California and the first since the 2014 BCS championship game. The last time Auburn played a regular season game in the Golden State was in 2002 at USC.
With that comes a unique set of circumstances. There's the five-hour flight to get there. There's adjusting to a different time zone. There's the preparation tha goes into playing a game that doesn't kick off until 9:30 p.m. CT.
"All of that is going to be a challenge, but that's what life is," Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze said. "So, how we approach it and the attitude we have for the opportunity we have ought to be one of gratitude and thankfulness. If we have to suck it up and fly a long flight, then that's what we've got to do. We get another opportunity to represent this school, our conference and each other, so let's go make the most of it."
The team is planning to fly out late Thursday night. They will use Friday to get their bodies adjusted to the new time zone while also trying to treat it as a normal Friday before a game with practice, team meals and everything else that goes into it.
If anything, Saturday's game will reveal quite a bit about this Auburn team.
"I think it's going to be a test of us and who we are as a football team," offensive lineman Gunner Britton said. "Are we more business? Or what are we like? I think that's going to be a big thing. You're going to have to fly five hours and go play a team. That's going to be something big for us. It's going to be a great test of who we are and get us ready to go when we start playing SEC games."
Like Auburn, Cal is coming off an impressive opener as well. The Golden Bears put up 669 yards and 58 points on North Texas in a 58-21 victory.
Saturday's contest will kick off at 9:30 p.m. CT from California Memorial Stadium in Berkeley, California. The game will be televised on ESPN with Dave Flemming, Brock Osweiler and Kayla Burton on the call. You can also listen to Andy Burcham, Jason Campbell, Ronnie Brown and Will Herring who will have the radio call on 94.3 FM, online at AuburnTigers.com and on the new Auburn app (Download here).
Three questions with CB Keionte Scott
Q: You're coming off a win in Jordan-Hare. What was that atmosphere like?
A: It was definitely exciting. I was telling some of the new guys on the team about the experience and what to expect during the week. The fans were able to live up to it. Getting off the bus, Tiger Walk, it's full, and you see everyone wearing white. Getting into the stands and seeing the student section full – it was all the things I was telling them that it was going to live up to. The game was one of the top attendances in Auburn history. Being able to play and get that home-field advantage, it's always an advantage. We love it.
Q: Walk us through your punt return in the first quarter. It was a big momentum shift.
A: I was talking all week. I really want to take advantage of punt return. I feel like I can do a big thing for our offense each week just being able to create some momentum for them. The punt was a funky one. As soon as I saw it bounce, I knew I was going to have to make a play. I was able to get vertical and knew I would have the field, so I started getting to the field. I got a big block from my boy Champ Anthony. Then another great block from Eugene (Asante) to seal off the edge. I was able to get some yards and get our offense on the 16-yard line. Being able to score right before the second quarter, it was important.
Q: You're going back to California this week. Is this one you circled on the calendar?
A: 100 percent. It's an opportunity for a lot of my family and close friends to come to the game, so it's exciting for me to give my family a chance to see me play. And just being able to get around some guys I know on the team and be back in California, it's all exciting. I was definitely looking forward to this week.
Inside the Series: Cal
This will be the first meeting on the gridiron between the Tigers and the Golden Bears. California is the 88th team of 133 current FBS members that Auburn has played. Of the 86 FBS teams Auburn has played previously, the Tigers have defeated 79 at least once with the only exceptions: Minnesota, Oklahoma, Rice, SMU, South Florida and Texas Tech.
Auburn is 10-3 overall and 0-2 on the road against current members of the Pac-12 Conference: Arizona (2-1), Colorado (1-0), Oregon (2-0), Oregon State (1-0), USC (1-2), Washington (1-0) and Washington State (2-0). In Auburn's most recent matchup with a Pac-12 team, Auburn beat Oregon 27-21 in Arlington, Texas to open the 2019 campaign.
The Tigers are 0-3 all-time in games played in the state of California – those being at Santa Clara in 1936, at No. 18 USC in the Los Angeles Coliseum in 2002, and against No. 1 Florida State in the 2014 BCS championship game played in the Rose Bowl in Pasadena.
By the Numbers
6: In Saturday's season opener against UMass, Auburn rushed for six touchdowns in a game for the first time since 2019 when the Tigers did it against Kent State and Mississippi State. With Jeremiah Cobb and Sean Jackson both breaking off touchdown runs of 40+ yards in the second half, Auburn is one of nine FBS teams with multiple rushes of 40 or more yards this season.
41: With two turnovers against UMass, Auburn improved to 41-12 when it forces multiple turnovers since the start of the 2013 season. Auburn is 67-33 when it forces at least one turnover over that span, compared to just 13-16 when it fails to force a turnover.
56: Keionte Scott's 56-yard punt return against UMass was a career long and the longest by an Auburn returner since 2016 when Stephen Roberts had a 58-yard punt return vs. Alabama. Scott ranked fourth in the SEC and 18th nationally last year with an 11.2-yard punt return average.
13: On Saturday, 13 players made their first start at Auburn. Among those players was Gunner Britton who earned SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week honors. The Western Kentucky transfer started at left guard and played three different positions up front.