Auburn wide receiver KeAndre Lambert-Smith is confident that the team can bounce back following their disappointing defeat to Cal.
Things didn’t go as planned for the Auburn Tigers on Sunday.
Auburn suffered a 21-14 defeat to the Cal Golden Bears at Jordan-Hare Stadium, a game many expected the Tigers to handle without much difficulty.
However, when Cal tied the game at 7 on their first drive, it became clear that the Golden Bears were ready to put up a fight.
Mistakes, particularly on offense, hampered Auburn’s performance, and the team couldn’t recover from them.
Veteran wide receiver KeAndre Lambert-Smith, who transferred to Auburn in the offseason, scored an early touchdown but shared the team’s frustration with the loss.
“Think about how disappointed you’d be if you lost,” Lambert-Smith said. “Nobody likes losing, but we’re going to get back to work, review the film, fix our mistakes, and prepare for next week.”
Cal’s defense adjusted to limit Auburn’s receivers, and while Lambert-Smith acknowledged the tweaks were minor, they proved effective.
“They stopped pressing as much and backed off a bit,” Lambert-Smith noted. “That’s really it.”
Despite catching two passes for 30 yards and a touchdown, Lambert-Smith focused on the team’s loss rather than his individual performance.
“We didn’t win, so I don’t like talking about what I did,” Lambert-Smith said. “I’d rather win. My performance doesn’t matter.”
Quarterback Payton Thorne had a tough game, throwing four interceptions and missing several open targets. Nonetheless, Lambert-Smith and the team remain confident in Thorne’s abilities.
“Just letting him know that the team still believes in him,” Lambert-Smith said. “We know what he can do, and it’s not all on him. The offense as a whole needs to perform better. We just didn’t execute.”
Luckily for Auburn, the loss came early in the season, leaving time to bounce back. Lambert-Smith is optimistic that the team can recover.
“That’s why we’ll watch the film and figure it out,” Lambert-Smith said. “I’m just concerned with what happens when the ball’s in the air. We’ll watch, make corrections, and move forward.”
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