Anders Carlson works out of funk to 'win the game' in Iron Bowl
Anders Carlson knew exactly what to do.
He and the Auburn coaching staff were 100 percent sure there remained 1 second on the game clock, even as the entire Alabama team began to file into its locker room.
The sophomore Carlson grabbed his holder and snapper and trotted onto the field. It was time for a "whistle kick," a situation Carlson and his kicking unit practice all the time, he said.
“I just noticed the situation: no timeouts," Carlson said.
Carlson and his group were ready, but there was no defense in front of them. Alabama players sprinted out of the tunnel straight onto the field as a furious Nick Saban was forced into a timeout.
Not only did Auburn execute its rare "whistle-kick" opportunity in terms of setup. It got the end result it wanted, too.
Carlson nailed a 52-yarder as time expired heading into the half. The kick ended up being the difference as Auburn downed Alabama in the 83rd Iron Bowl, 48-45.
And the Tigers wouldn't have been able to hang around and swap leads 10 times with the Tide if their placekicker hadn't been burying long attempts unconsciously all game. After entering the contest 0 for his 6 on kicks of 40 yards or more, Carlson was good from 43, 52, 43 and 42.
Nothing changed for the Colorado Springs, Colo., product, however. Sometimes kickers just get in lulls, he said. Any college football fan knows that. But he also acknowledged that the unwavering faith in him from Gus Malzahn and his teammates didn't hurt.
“I’ve always been the same," Carlson said. "I might make minor adjustments, but I’m confident in what I do. And sometimes it doesn’t go your way, but that’s the lesson you have to learn just to bounce back and keep going."
Carlson also drilled one from career-long range, though it won't appear in the box score.
As Auburn drove in Alabama territory in the third quarter, down 31-27, Boobee Whitlow dropped a slant pass on third-and-4. There was no hesitation from Malzahn to send his kicker out for a 54-yard boot, and Carlson delivered on a kick that looked like it could have been true from 60 yards.
Only, Alabama jumped offsides, and Malzahn elected to move forward with the first down and remove the 3 points. Auburn again failed to convert a third down, so Carlson was sent right back out.
He didn't flinch on the second try either, knocking it through from 43. Carlson said making a pair of long field goals in short succession is one of the toughest things to ask of a kicker.
But, again, Malzahn's confidence was steadfast.
"How about that? I took three points off the board in the Iron Bowl, and he comes back and he makes it," Malzahn said. "He had a big-time night.
"We talked all year: 'Man, you're going to win a game for us.' Tonight, he did that."
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