AUBURN, Ala. (EETV) — Auburn football faced a difficult defeat on Saturday night, falling 21-14 to California in a game that uncovered many points of emphasis for the Tigers.
Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze did not hold back in expressing his disappointment in his team during his press conference on Monday.
“Really disappointed in not finding a way to win a game, which was a winnable game. I knew all week, and tried to tell everyone around here, I thought Cal was a really experienced, veteran football team, and so give them credit for that,” Freeze said.
California's quarterback, Fernando Mendoza, played a crucial role for the Golden Bears, finishing 25 of 36 for 233 yards and two touchdowns. In comparing the play of both teams' quarterbacks, what accelerated Mendoza’s performance was that he did not turn the ball over. California did not commit a turnover the entire game; in fact, it has just one in its first two games after tying for the most turnovers in the nation in 2023 with 28 turnovers.
Auburn’s defense is what kept them in the game. The defense limited Cal’s rushing attack to an average of 2.9 yards per carry. Auburn’s defense allowed 332 yards of total offense from Cal but failed to create any turnovers that could have shifted momentum.
“Defensively, we played well enough to win the game, even though in the first half, we gave up too many third downs,” Freeze said. “We controlled the line of scrimmage defensively. But we didn’t come up with any turnovers. When you're struggling like that and you have a chance to make one, we’ve got to make those.”
Auburn's offensive performance was marked by inconsistency and five turnovers. Quarterback Payton Thorne had a particularly rough night, throwing four interceptions. Those four picks tied the most Thorne has thrown in a game in his collegiate career.
“Offensively, it was an awful performance. And we've got to find some consistency there. That’s our job this week, to find that as we get ready to play New Mexico,” Freeze said. He acknowledged the potential need for adjustments at quarterback if Thorne’s struggles continue.
Looking ahead, Auburn faces New Mexico, a team that recently went toe-to-toe with ranked Arizona. Freeze emphasized the importance of responding to setbacks, relying on team leadership, and maintaining a consistent approach to building his program.
“Adversity always reveals what that is, and we'll get to see that as we continue to try to build this program,” Freeze said.
Freeze remains optimistic about the team's future, focusing on the development of his freshman and other new players and how to improve in the upcoming weeks. With week three of the season approaching, Auburn has four ranked teams still to play on its schedule.
