California vs. Auburn: Tigers open as 5.5-point favorite against Golden Bears
Auburn will take a road trip to Berkley in Week 2 to face California, and the Tigers open as 5.5-point favorites according to FanDuel. Additionally, the over/under for the matchup is set at 54.5.
Auburn easily took care of business on Saturday against Massachusetts to cruise to a 59-14 win against the Minutemen. Michigan State transfer quarterback Payton Thorne got the start and finished 10-of-17 passing for 141 yards and a touchdown, but Robby Ashford still saw plenty of work behind him.
Auburn took advantage of Ashford’s rushing ability to work him in on some short-yardage and red zone situations. He ultimately led the team with three touchdowns — all of which came on the ground — and had 51 yards rushing on nine carries. Ashford helped pace a Tigers rushing attack that finished the contest with an average of 7.0 yards per carry.
Defensively, Auburn also came away with a touchdown as Jaylin Simpson returned an interception 50 yards for a touchdown. The Tigers forced two turnovers overall in the game and the only points it allowed came during the first and fourth quarters.
As for California, the Golden Bears notched a 58-21 victory in their Week 1 matchup against North Texas. They did so behind a strong rushing attack as sophomore Jaydn Ott led the way with 188 yards and a pair of scores on 20 carries. Transfer Isaiah Ifanse also got in on the action with 54 yards and three touchdowns on 10 carries.
Stopping that duo will be key for the Auburn defense if they hope to come away with a win. The Tigers gave up 138 yards rushing and a touchdown to Massachusetts on Saturday while allowing 5.3 yards per carry.
Kickoff for the game between Auburn and California is set for 9:30 p.m. CT next Saturday in Berkley.
Auburn hoping for turnaround under Hugh Freeze in 2023
Coming off of a combined 11-14 record the past two seasons, Auburn hired coach Hugh Freeze to replace Bryan Harsin. Freeze brings previous experience coaching in the SEC at Ole Miss, where he led the 39-25 record over five seasons, including a pair of wins against Alabama and Nick Saban.
The Tigers brought in several transfers this offseason including Thorne and former Jackson State receiver Shane Hooks, who finished with a pair of catches for 41 yards in Saturday’s victory. They also return running back Jarquez Hunter, though he missed Week 1 following an offseason suspension.
Freeze comes to Auburn after spending the past four years at Liberty. He certainly got off to a good start in Week 1 but will face a much tougher test in his second game, which comes against a Power 5 opponent.