If Auburn kicker Daniel Carlson seems more talkative and positive on campus this week, it shouldn't take much imagination to figure out why. After all, it's not every Saturday you score all of your team's points in a perfect performance that results in a huge conference win and the firing of your opponent's national-title-winning coach.
Carlson, who's 12-for-12 on field goal tries this season, made six field goals against then No. 18 LSU, tying the school record set by Al Del Greco against Kentucky in 1982. He also delivered Auburn its first win without a touchdown since a 3-2 win at Mississippi State in 2008.
In the aftermath of Saturday's game, the kicker from Colorado is now the big man on campus on The Plains.
"I was talking to someone this morning about what it’s like being on Cloud 9," Carlson said. "Eventually, I’ve got to come down. I’ve got some tests this week in school so I’m sure those will bring me down, but it’s been a lot of fun with the team."
After the game, Carlson was hoisted upon his teammates' shoulders and carried off the field in classic Rudy fashion. Carlson was so lost in the moment, he wasn't sure what to make of the free ride at the time.
"I didn’t really—I don’t know, I think we were just so excited with just how the end of the game kind of happened that it was all just so surreal," Carlson said. "It was really exciting just to celebrate with the team because I feel like we’d been waiting for that, so to finally be able to do that and have that work pay off, it was really fun.”
After Carlson's brilliant performance earned him his second SEC Special Teams Player of the Week honor in three weeks, head coach Gus Malzahn didn't hesitate to express confidence in his kicker.
"I would trust him from 60," Malzahn said. "You may see that moving forward."
Carlson didn't shy away when asked about his range. While his prowess from 50 yards and longer is well known, he says he can top that by some distance.
"I made (70-yard tries) a couple of times back in Colorado and here, but 65 and in I can do pretty easily without trying to swing any harder or anything," Carlson said. "But 65 and in? If we needed it in a game, we could try that."
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