Confidence grows in Bert Auburn, who is a difference-maker for No. 7 Texas
AUSTIN – Football can be a game of inches and when No. 7 Texas needed the three points that ultimately made the difference in the Longhorns’ 33-30 overtime win over Kansas State on Saturday in a battle of Big 12 Conference front-runners at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium, Bert Auburn was up to the challenge, converting from 42 yards.
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Kansas State elected not to trust its kicker, Chris Tennant, to tie the game and sent it to a second overtime, instead electing to go for the win with an ill-advised fourth-down passing play that the Longhorns snuffed out and shut down.
Tennant had missed wide left on a 27-yard FG attempt with 1:45 remaining but, after another late K-State drive, sent the game to overtime with a 45-yarder with one second left. He was left on the sidelines for the finish, and Texas (8-1, 5-1 Big 12) escaped with its third straight win that kept it atop the league standings.
Auburn was cool as a cucumber in booting four field goals in the game, with his others coming from 32 yards in the first quarter, a career-high-tying 49 in the second and from 34 yards out to allow the Longhorns retake the lead with six minutes to play after they coughed up a 27-7 advantage.
He is now 13 of 18 on field goals for the season and hasn’t missed in his past 17 quarters, since early in the third in Texas’s 40-14 win over Kansas on Sept. 30. He’s been successful on all eight of his attempts since that miss, putting his five missed FG tries over the first four games.
“Coach (Steve) Sarkisian constantly put me out there despite a shaky season from the start and he’s just had tremendous confidence in me,” Auburn said Saturday after Texas’ victory. “That that means the world to me as a kicker that to know that your coach has your back.
“You know as a kicker that you’re gonna miss kicks. You wish you could have them back but that’s just how it goes. And you gotta leave them in the past and just keep working steady on your routine.”
Sarkisian said he has a ton of confidence in Auburn, who is now 34 of 44 for his two-year career on the 40 Acres.
“We’ve got a lot of faith in Bert,” Sarkisian said. “One thing I try to do as a coach is let our players know that I believe in them, and I wouldn’t tell him I believed him if I didn’t. Bert is a prime example of that. Sometimes early in the year you miss a couple of kicks here and there, but I know what he’s capable of. The fact that he was able to now find his rhythm here the last few ballgames and make some really big kicks for us is going to be huge for us moving forward.”
Sarkisian often rolls the dice on fourth down in positive territory instead of kicking a field goal but Auburn said he’s works hard to always be ready when called upon. He certainly fit the bill against the Wildcats.
For the game-winner on Saturday, Auburn was in his zone and prepared.
“I don’t want anyone to talk to me (before a kick) – I’m in my zone already,” Auburn explained. “No one said anything this time. There wasn’t really any time you know, overtime. (Kansas State wasn’t) going to call a timeout or anything so it’s nice just being able to go out there and not have to worry about anything.”
