Cal creates an epic memory in Auburn

The family came to Alabama. The family was rewarded.

Credit: Rob Hwang

There are games with the Bears that feel like they last years.

And then, once in awhile, there are years of memories all squeezed into one game.

Auburn was one long, happy memory, built by Bears who put in the work all afternoon long.

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There's Fernando Mendoza, the prospect from Miami who was found at the last minute, morphing into “Aaron Rodgers at USC” for one half in a loud hostile environment, and finding every open receiver to drive Cal down the field for the game tying and go ahead scores.

Nyziah Hunter flew under everyone's radars in the ongoing wideout battles. Now he has three touchdowns in two weeks, with multiple SEC defensive backs now left in his dust.

There's a Bear we now know as Teddye, turning into a California folk hero in the fields of Alabama, wreaking terror on Peyton Thorne for hours on end, forcing the key fumble that made the difference.

There’s Nohl Williams shaking off one tough drive and turning in an epic defensive performance afterwards because Marcus Harris completely shut down the other side.

In stepped Jaivian Thomas to workhorse for a limited Jaydn Ott, breaking off the run that proved to be the difference. Lachlan Wilson boomed punt after punt to pin Auburn deep over and over. The Cal defensive line pushed Auburn's talent enough to stifle Jarquez Hunter.

Mason Starling, Jack Endries, Mavin Anderson and Jonathan Brady kept drives alive constantly in one-on-ones against the Auburn secondary. There were the Takers, everywhere else, making Thorne see nothing but blue and gold by hour two. There was Cade Uluave, helping get the entire defense in their place to beat Auburn at the line.

And then there was Justin Wilcox, at the end, taking it all in, throwing his cap in the California crowd. He still has a lot to prove, and he knows there's a lot to improve for Cal to meet it's goals.

But for the first time in five years, he faced a big moment and came out on the other side. For tonight, it's enough.

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And then there's all of us, the true weirdos, who trekked from every part of the country to find themselves in the Deep South one fine weekend to actively seek out California Golden Bear football.

Believing hard for the best. Worrying about the worst. Waiting for the shoe to drop. Dreaming for beyond.

When you send home 70,000 Auburn fans multiple times in the fourth quarter after head locking them for three hours, and an Auburn athletic director has to delete their Twitter for spreading Cal falsehoods, you have created lore that can't be forgotten.

When your QB1 is wearing T-shirts built by the Cal Twitter community, you've become part of an event that you won't ever really forget.

When the whole sporting world has been more than ready to leave your university for dead, saying for years that your program doesn't matter, that no one cares about us, then to be surrounded by tens of thousands of CALIFORNIA chants serenading gold helmets…

It feels really good.

I don't want to leave it.

I guess we have no choice but to make another memory Bears.