Cal recorded one of the most significant wins of the Justin Wilcox era on Saturday in one of the most unlikely places: SEC country.
The 21-14 victory over Auburn, which featured two interceptions by the Bears in the final three minutes, came despite a depleted offensive line and a limited performance by injured tailback Jaydn Ott, who rushed for just 11 yards.
But quarterback Fernando Mendoza was calm and precise in the hostile environment of Jordan-Hare Stadium, completing 25-of-36 passes with two touchdowns and no interceptions. Meanwhile, Cal’s defense forced five turnovers and held the Tigers to two touchdowns one week after they scored 73 points against Alabama A&M.
The win stands as the most impactful of the post-COVID era for the Bears, with one exception: The victory at UCLA at the end of last season, which secured the program’s first bowl berth since 2019.
The Tigers aren’t an elite SEC team by any stretch. They were 6-7 last year and picked 10th in the conference’s 2024 preseason media poll.
But road wins in SEC country can provide rocket fuel, especially for a team transitioning into its new conference with few insurmountable opponents on the schedule.
The ACC doesn’t have equivalents of Oregon and Utah, USC and Washington. It’s wide open, folks. Yes, Miami looks solid, but Clemson and Florida State are struggling, and the middle is soft.
There is room for the Bears (2-0) on the top shelf of the standings, but only if they score consistently enough, week after week, to support their stout defense.
Other thoughts on Cal’s victory:
— Nothing about the environment should have intimidated the Bears — not the opponent, location or distance traveled.
For one, they were a few plays away from beating Auburn last season in Memorial Stadium, missing three field goals in a four-point defeat.
Additionally, Wilcox’s teams have performed exceptionally well on the other side of the Rockies:
In 2017, the Bears won at North Carolina as 12-point underdogs.
In 2019, they won at Mississippi.
In 2021, they lost at TCU by two points as 11-point underdogs.
In 2022, they nearly upset Notre Dame as 12-point dogs.
And Saturday, they arrived on The Plains of southern Alabama as 12-point dogs.
All in all, Cal has covered the spread (handily) in all five road games under Wilcox against Power Five opponents in the Eastern and Central Time Zones.
That long-distance success suggests the Bears might manage a series of cross-country trips for conference matchups, beginning in two weeks with a date at Florida State.
— As Mendoza carried the offense, linebacker Teddye Buchanan led the defense.
A transfer from UC Davis, Buchanan recorded 11 tackles and two sacks and forced a fumble as the Bears repeatedly got the best of Auburn quarterback Payton Thorne, who threw four interceptions.
— The Bears led 14-7 early in the fourth quarter when their defense sparked the key sequence.
Buchanan ripped the ball loose from Auburn tailback Jarquez Hunter, and the subsequent recovery by Craig Woodson gave Cal possession at the Tigers’ 36 yardline.
Two plays later, tailback Jaivian Thomas blasted through the line for a 32-yard touchdown that gave the Bears a 14-point lead.
The Tigers got one touchdown back midway through the quarter but were denied twice by Cal’s defense in the final minutes — on interceptions by defensive backs Nohl Williams and Lu-Magia Hearns III.
— The victory does wonders for Cal’s postseason math, creating margin for error once ACC play begins in two weeks in Tallahassee.
The Bears now need four wins in their final 10 games to lock up the fourth bowl berth of Wilcox’s tenure.
Six are at home, starting next weekend against San Diego State, and three of the roadtrips, to Pittsburgh, Wake Forest and SMU, are anything but daunting.
Put another way: The path ahead doesn’t require additional upsets. Thanks to the victory at Auburn, the Bears can go bowling simply by winning the games they should win.
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