BERKELEY | Every time Auburn needed a big stop, the Tigers' defense stepped up. And on third down with Cal in excellent field goal position, Eugene Asante gave the Golden Bears a headache.

In a game where points came at a minimum, Asante's efforts on third down was a critical point in helping Auburn escape Berkeley with a 14-10 victory. On 3rd and 10, with Cal threatening to go up two scores, the linebacker teamed up with Donovan Kaufman for a two-yard loss to force a 42-yard field-goal attempt. Michael Luckhurst missed, giving Auburn some momentum.

The offense, struggling all night long to get anything going, was still stalling in the fourth quarter when Asante stepped up again. The Golden Bears had another shot to put Auburn on the brink of defeat with 3rd and 10 on the Tigers' 16, but Asante got to quarterback Sam Jackson for an 11-yard loss. What would have been a chip shot field goal turned into a 44-yard attempt, again missed by Luckhurst.

"He played really, really hard," Hugh Freeze said of Asante.

Auburn's offense took advantage this time, driving the ball 73 yards and scoring a touchdown on a five-yard pass from Payton Thorne to Rivaldo Fairweather for the 14-10 lead. The Tigers' defense wouldn't allow the Bears to counter.

It was a game that Asante will remember for a long time, and with good reason. He led the Tigers with 12 total tackles (nine solo), along with a sack, 0.5 tackles for a loss, two quarterback hurries and a pass breakup. It is also a long way from where he was last year when Asante was stuck on the scout team and saw action in just four games.

He has used that fuel to become a better player and has taken advantage of the opportunities the new coaching staff has given him.

"It was a big thing for me," Asante said. "Coach Roberts, Coach Aldrige, this staff has given me the opportunity to show what I can do."

Now, the Golden Bears know what Asante is capable of, and, fortunately for Auburn, when they needed a big stop, he was there.

"I’m excited for Eugene for this year," D.J. James said. "Eugene brings me energy. He turns me up at practice and even in the games he’s giving me energy. We feed off Eugene as a defense. He starts ‘let’s work’ and we know to work."