California will get a chance to get acquainted with the type of travel in its Atlantic Coast Conference future when the Golden Bears fly 2,400 miles to visit fellow unbeaten Auburn in a nonconference game Saturday afternoon.
The matchup will complete a home-and-home agreement between the new ACC school and the longtime Southeastern Conference power, one that began last September with a 14-10 Tigers win in Berkeley, Calif.
Cal (1-0) is expected to have star running back Jaydn Ott available for the rematch after the All-American candidate injured his left ankle in the Golden Bears’ 31-13 opening win at home over U.C. Davis last Saturday.
Cal coach Justin Wilcox, who is known to be secretive with information such as starters and player availability, labeled Ott “probable” in his weekly chat with reporters on Tuesday.
Ott had just 49 yards on 14 carries but had scored two touchdowns before leaving the Davis game for good midway through the third quarter. He had 20 carries for a game-high 78 yards and one score in last year’s loss to Auburn.
Ott factored into a third TD in the opener when Nohl Williams, one of the blocking backs on the kickoff unit, grabbed a short kick designed to prevent an Ott return and dashed 80 yards for a score.
“Going into the week, I knew that was their game plan — kicking away from Jaydn,” noted Williams, who also intercepted a pass in the win. “That was my opportunity right there.”
Ott was a first-team All-Pac 12 selection in 2023, when he rushed for 1,315 yards and 12 touchdowns. The preseason All-ACC first-team pick could be replaced Saturday by Kadarius Calloway, Jaivian Thomas and Byron Cardwell.
Auburn (1-0) will feature a familiar face in an unusual spot when it attempts to duplicate the offensive fireworks it displayed in last week’s 73-3 home win over Alabama A&M against a defense that allowed it just 14 points a year ago.
Sam Jackson V, who started at quarterback for Cal in last year’s meeting, is now a wide receiver for the Tigers. He had a 37-yard TD reception against the overmatched FCS opponent in his Auburn debut.
“It’ll be a good challenge to sort of see kind of where we are offensively,” Auburn coach Hugh Freeze said of the Golden Bears. “Here’s our chance to prove we can be a fundamentally efficient scoring machine against who I think plays really good defensive football.”
