3 Feel-good moments Auburn football can provide Tiger fans against Cal in Week 2

Hugh Freeze's Auburn football program didn't just handle business in Week 1 against Alabama A&M under the lights at Jordan-Hare Stadium. They handled their business; putting up 73 points on the Bulldogs and getting almost all their new receiving threats touchdowns in a 73-3 blowout.

The Tigers are 1-0 but are still going to hear the detractors wrongfully aim to discredit Alabama A&M because they're from the FCS. All doubts can be definitively put to bed with another spectacular showing against the ACC's Cal, though.

Auburn won a grueling 14-10 dogfight in 2023 that was, to put it bluntly, ugly football. On their homefield, they're expected to handle the Golden Bears as multi-score favorites.

Doing so would obviously feel good. But these three potential moments would make it even sweeter.

Auburn football gets Bryce Cain his first touchdown

The Freeze Four produced four touchdowns and 268 yards during their collegiate debuts on August 31, but Bryce Cain was the lone member of the blue-chip in-state freshman quartet who didn't find the end zone.

Cain getting a score against Cal would complete the Freeze Four scoring quadrumvirate. The group will have truly arrived with Cain getting in on the scoring mix.

Payton Thorne connects with Sam Jackson V to get former Cal QB1 TD against former team

Sam Jackson V was only briefly Cal's QB1, but he got the start against Auburn in 2023 at California Memorial Stadium. He was quickly turned into a non-factor in Berkley, and in Week 2, Jackson has the chance to get revenge.

How sweet would it be for his high school teammate Payton Thorne to be the one to throw him what'd be his second touchdown reception of the season?

DJ Durkin's defense holds Cal to under 10 points

DJ Durkin's defense was physical and mean in Week 1, amassing three sacks and 11 tackles for a loss against Alabama A&M. The group had one gaffe, a 56-yard completion from Quad Brown to Keenan Hambrick in the second quarter, but held strong otherwise.

It'd be a feat for Durkin's group to outdo Ron Roberts's from a year ago and hold Cal under 10 points with the Golden Bears traveling 2,400+ miles to the Plains.