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California football star running back Jaydn Ott is probable for Cal's game against Auburn football on Saturday. After suffering a right ankle injury in a 31-13 win against UC Davis in Week 1, head coach Justin Wilcox says we'll most likely see Ott back in uniform, according to ESPN's Kyle Bonagura.
‘Cal running back Jaydn Ott is probable for the visiting Golden Bears' game against Auburn on Saturday, coach Justin Wilcox said Tuesday.'
Ott ran for two touchdowns, including 49 yards on 14 carries, before exiting the game against UC Davis. The junior running back was a first-team all-Pac-12 selection last season, running for 1,315 yards. He's positioned to have his best season yet.
California football will need Ott's explosiveness against Auburn football. Still, head coach Wilcox is looking forward to the challenge.
“Rhythm in the offense comes from getting first downs, and unfortunately, there in the first half, for a number of reasons,” Wilcox said about Auburn via Rivals.com. “I think five of the six drives were three plays or less. So nobody can get into rhythm. The quarterback can't, the O-line can't, the team can't if you're going three and out or less on five of the six drives. So, I think the quarterback, obviously, those guys play a critical role, as does the tackle, the running back, the tight end, and everybody else.”
California joined the ACC this season along with Stanford and SMU amid a flurry of realignment moves.
California beats UC Davis 31-13 in regular-season opener
California quarterback Fernando Mendoza went 15-for-22, throwing for 158 yards and one touchdown in beating UC Davis 31-13 last Saturday. Still, head coach Justin Wilcox says his team needs to do a better job offensively and points to the importance of creating rhythm early and often against Auburn.
“As an offense, we need to do a better job creating rhythm, and the way you do that is by getting the first first down of the drive, so you can create some rhythm,” Wilcox said. “So, I think Fernando did some good things. He threw some good ball. There's a few things that we have to be better on with Fernando. And then, I think Chandler did some good things as well. And again, I kind of go back; I wish we would have converted a couple of those first downs so we could have got him some more opportunities.”
Having running back Jaydn Ott readily available will undoubtedly help California's chances of beating Auburn. Ott rushed for 1,260 yards on 229 carries and 11 touchdowns last season and is positioned to top those numbers in 2024 if he can stay healthy.
