The Auburn Tigers were able to secure their first SEC win of the season against Arkansas this afternoon, despite trailing the Razorbacks 21-10 at halftime. Even more incredible, they mounted the comeback without scoring a single offensive touchdown.
Auburn kicker Alex McPherson had the game of his career on Saturday, notching six field goals—five of which came in the pivotal second half for the Tigers. McPherson’s performance tied Daniel Carlson (2016) and Al Del Greco (1982) for the most field goals in a single Auburn game.
This game comes as a breath of fresh air for McPherson, who has faced seemingly every career roadblock possible since his perfect freshman season back in 2023. After hitting all 13 of his field goals and 40 of his extra points that year, McPherson missed nearly all of his sophomore season due to personal health issues.
In 2025, McPherson was featured in his own segment on ESPN’s College GameDay, where he discussed his 2024 health scare and his road back to kicking for the Tigers every Saturday. McPherson revealed that he had been diagnosed with ulcerative colitis, which caused his weight to drop to nearly 110 pounds during his sophomore year. He eventually underwent a procedure to have his entire large intestine removed. Miraculously, he was able to recover before the start of the Tigers’ 2025 season, regaining his weight—back up to 160 pounds—and nearly all of the power in his kicks.
McPherson remained perfect throughout his career until the Tigers’ matchup against Missouri last Saturday, during which he missed three field goals in a heartbreaking double-overtime loss. Head coach Hugh Freeze touched on McPherson’s resilience after that tough performance in today’s postgame press conference.
“He’s the first one in my office Monday to say, ‘I’m sorry, Coach — I lost that game for you,’” recited Freeze.
Last weekend clearly had no negative effect on McPherson, as he helped provide the Tigers’ sputtering red-zone offense with 15 points in the second half. “What a redemption story that is,” said Freeze.
McPherson’s historic performance certainly led the way for the Tigers on Saturday, but it was a string of key forced turnovers by the Auburn secondary that paved the way for his opportunities. Auburn forced three interceptions and one fumble on four straight Missouri drives in the fourth quarter.
Junior cornerback Rayshawn Pleasant had the game of a lifetime for the Auburn defense, recording two interceptions and returning one for a go-ahead touchdown. Pleasant also shined on special teams, posting a 49-yard kick return that set up the Tigers for a field goal to close out the first half.
Sophomore linebacker Xavier Atkins continued his impressive season, forcing a clutch fourth-quarter fumble while also racking up 13 tackles, four tackles for loss, and two sacks. Finally, sophomore safety Kensley Louidor-Faustin recorded the Tigers’ third interception to ice the game late in the fourth quarter.
As the Tigers now boast a 4-4 record two-thirds of the way through their season, they will take on the Kentucky Wildcats next Saturday night in Jordan-Hare Stadium, hoping to reclaim a winning record in 2025.
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Jonathan Wallin | Sports Writer
Jonathan is a freshman majoring in industrial and systems engineering. He started with The Plainsman in the fall of 2025.
