Cal Football: Auburn Game Thread - Bears Squander Chances in 14-10 Defeat

Three missed field goals -- plus a 51-yarder that was wiped out by penalty -- and three turnovers contributed to Cal's 14-10 loss to Auburn in front of 44,141 at Memorial Stadium and an ESPN audience on Saturday night.

-- Pre-game update: At just after 6 p.m. - 90 minutes before kickoff - Sam Jackson V is not on the field warming up with the other quarterbacks. Cal had been noncommittal this week about his status after sustaining a left arm or shoulder injury last week at North Texas.

-- With 45 minutes until kickoff, the Bears return to the field and this time QB Sam Jackson V is with them, dressed and making throws. He is wearing some sort of protective device on his left (non-throwing) arm. Warming up with Auburn is No. 1 running back Jarquez Hunter, who did not play last week.

-- Sixth-year Cal center Matthew Cindric, who left the North Texas game with an injury, is not dressed and on the field.

-- Cal's opponent next Saturday at Memorial Stadium, FCS-level Idaho, went to Nevada today and handed an FBS foe a decisive 33-6 defeat.

PRE-GAME COIN FLIP: Cal wins the toss, defers to the second half and will defend the north goal. Bears to kick off.

13:33 1st Q: QB Payton Thorne, on third-and-4 from the Auburn 28, rolls right trying to reach the first down marker. He lost the ball and LB Jackson Sirmon picked it off in midair and ran about 30-plus yards, untouched, into the end zone. Officials initially ruled him out of bounds when he gained possession. After an official review, the call was changed, giving Cal the ball at the 35. The return was wiped out because a ref's whistle blew the play dead. Cal 0, Auburn 0.

9:42 1st Q: Michael Luckhurst puts the Beats on the scoreboard first, kicking a 39-yard field goal on a fourth-and-9 play from the 22. Cal 3, Auburn 0.

4:09 1st Q: A third-down sack by Cal d-lineman Ricky Correia of Payton Thorne forced Auburn to punt from its own 1-yard line and Cal took over after a fair catch at the 33-yard line. The Bears stalled at the 25 and Luckhurst was wide left on a 42-yard FG try. A posted opportunity, to be sure. Cal 3, Auburn 0.

END OF 1ST QTR: Cal 3, Auburn 0. The Bears have 38 total yards - 22 passing and 16 rushing. Jaydn Ott has 7 carries for 26 yards. Ben Finley is 4 for 6 for 22 yards. Auburn QB Payton Thorne is 2 for 4 for 11 yards. The Tigers will begin the 2nd quarter with a first down from their own 44-yard line.

11:50 2nd Q: Payton Thorne throws 13-yard TD pass on third-and-6 to Jay Fair, who was crossing over the middle, right to left. The scoring drive was set up when safety Donovan Kaufman caused Isaiah Ifanse to fumble, then recovers the loose ball at the Cal 17. Auburn 7, Cal 3.

4:47 2nd Q: Ott scores on a 14-yard dash up the middle, capping a six-play, 65-yard drive. Sam Jackson V made his first appearance at QB and immediately had impact. .He was 2-for-2 passing for 28 yards and ran once for 4 yards. Ott had 3 carries for 33 yards on the drive. The TD was set up by a fumble recovery from Patrick McMorris after Auburn running back Damari Alston lost possession while apparently running for a first down. Officials reviewed the play and awarded Cal possession. Cal 10, Auburn 7.

1:03 2nd Q: Cornerback Nohl Williams intercepts a Thorne pass that sailed over his target, giving Cal possession at the Auburn 34-yard line. Cal 10, Auburn 7.

0:00 2nd Q: Michael Luchurst made a 51-yard field goal on what appeared to be the final play of the half but the play was nullified by a holding call against Xavier Carlton. Faced with a fourth-and-20 from the Auburn 44 with no time left, Jackson took the snap, scrambled to his right and heaved a pass into the end zone. Safety Jaylin Simpson intercepted and returned it to the 25 before going down. Cal 10, Auburn 7.

HALFTIME: Cal 10, Auburn 7. Cal has the lead at intermission but will lament not cashing in opportunities for more. One missed field goal, another that was wiped out by a penalty and a chance on their first possession of the game that netted only three points but could have gotten the Bears more.

The numbers Cal has 129 total yards to 99 for Auburn. Ben Finley was 7 for 11 for 34 yards before giving way to Jackson, who was 4 for 8 for 38 yards. Each was picked off once, although Jackson's came on a Hail Mary try on the final play of the half.

Ott has 63 yards on 14 carries, but he had 28 of those on two attempts, just 35 on his remaining 12 attempts. The Bears wound up with 57 net rushing yards to 61 for Auburn.

Cal made eight first downs, Auburn just four. The Tigers coughed up three turnovers, the Bears two. Each defense had one sack.

The Bears will get the ball first to open the third quarter.

2:44 3Q: Ott tries leaping over defender Jaylin Simpson on second-and-10 from the Auburn 23 but lands hard and remains on the ground for at least 2 minutes while medical staff checks him out. Finally, he rises and walks off the field. The drive ends two plays later when Michael Luckhurst misses wide right on a 42-yard field goal try. Cal 10, Auburn 7.

11:08 4th Q: Jackson completes passes of 11 yards to Taj Davis, 10 yards to Brian Hightower and 15 yards to Davis, moving Cal to the Auburn 16-yard line. But two incompletions and an 11-yard loss on a sack forced another field try. Luckhurst missed this one from 42 yards, wife left. He is now 1-for-4 tonight, 2-for-7 over two weeks, not counting the 51-yarder that was wiped out by a holding penalty. Cal 10, Auburn 7.

6:31 4th Q: All those missed opportunities just caught up to the Bears. Thorne threw a 5-yard TD pass to 6-foot-4, 251-pound wide receiver Rivaldo Fairweather, who outleaped Jeremiah Earby to make the catch in the end zone. The play capped a 10-play, 69-yard drive. Auburn 14, Cal 10.

1:44 4th Q: No missed field goal this time . . . Jackson's pass to Trond Grizzell in the end zone was intercepted by cornerback D.J. James. Cal got the last shot after an official review reversed a call on the field, giving the Bears possession after a fumble recovery by Ricky Correia at the Auburn 41 with 4 minutes left. Auburn 14, Cal 10.

Cover photo of Jaydn Ott by Al Sermeno, KLC fotos

Follow Jeff Faraudo of Cal Sports Report on Twitter: @jefffaraudo