Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers is famous for striking his championship belt pose. When Rodgers was named the MVP of Super Bowl XLV, he hoisted the MVP trophy and an actual WWE heavyweight championship belt after leading the Packers to a 31-25 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers back in February 2011.

Auburn kicker and punter Daniel Carlson, in his first start for the Tigers on Saturday, had a championship-belt type of game against Arkansas. For his efforts, he was named Auburn’s special teams champ of the week.

It wasn’t the only award Carlson got. On Monday he was named the SEC freshman of the week.

Carlson, the redshirt freshman from Colorado, had a fantastic debut. For not being named the punter until two weeks prior to the season-opener, Carlson did a tremendous job flipping the field Saturday. He averaged 53 yards per punt. His punts or “sky kicks”, which special teams coach Scott Fountain was looking for in fall camp, kept Arkansas’ returner D.J. Dean at bay. Two of Carlson’s three punts were returnable, but Dean only managed a total of 11 return yards. The Razorbacks average starting point on drives that followed a Carlson punt was its own 15-yard line.

CARLSON FLIPS THE FIELD

  • 1st punt at Auburn 35-yard line. Distance: 62 yards. Fielded at the Arkansas 3-yard line. Returned 4 yards
  • 2nd punt at Auburn 29-yard line. Distance: 54 yards. Fielded at the Arkansas 17-yard line. Returned 7 yards. 
  • 3rd punt at Auburn 41-yard line. Distance: 44 yards. Fielded at the Arkansas 15-yard line. No return

Carlson was 1-0f-2 on field goal attempts. He could have sent Auburn into the locker room with the lead but missed a 42-yarder wide right as time expired in the second quarter. His 45-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter extended Auburn’s lead to 38-21. Carlson made all six extra point attempts.

The last time the Tigers had the same player serve as the punter and placekicker was Damon Duval in 2002. Jaret Holmes also did both in back-to-back (1996-97) seasons.