Gus Malzahn explains the pressure situation he created for Anders Carlson to close out Auburn’s first scrimmage
Published:
Not only did Anders Carlson sign with Auburn as one of the highest-rated high school kicker prospects in the nation, he faced the added pressure of following his brother, Daniel, as the next Tiger kicker.
Most would agree that the younger Anders didn’t have the debut season many had hoped for but while Daniel Carlson finished his college career as arguably the best kicker in Auburn history, that doesn’t mean he didn’t have his share of struggles during his time on The Plains.
Considering the gauntlet of a schedule Auburn faces this fall, Gus Malzahn fully recognizes his squad most likely be playing in a few nailbiters in 2019. In order to best duplicate the pressure Carlson is going to feel this fall, the Tigers coach put his sophomore kicker to the test to close out the team’s first fall scrimmage.
“Anders Carlson had a 58-yard field goal in the scrimmage today, so that’s always good,” Malzahn said on Thursday. “At the very end, we pulled him up and had the team up there for a 47-yarder from the right hash. If he missed it, 10 up-downs for the whole team and if he made it, we win the championship type deal and he drilled it right down the middle. So, just trying to put him in as many pressure situations too because the likelihood, with our schedule, there will be a lot of games that have a chance to go down to the end.”
That result should give Carlson some momentum following a debut season in which he converted 15 of 25 field goals, which is a success rate of only 60 percent. The sophomore needs to get that number at or over 70 percent if the Tigers are going to win some of the close games Malzahn referenced could be coming.
Whether Carlson wins games by hitting kicks late or consistently converting when called upon throughout the game, three points here or there could be the difference between a win or a loss in the majority of games Auburn is set to play in the weeks and months to come.
A graduate of the University of Tennessee, Michael Wayne Bratton oversees the news coverage for Saturday Down South. Michael previously worked for FOX Sports and NFL.com
