Texas Longhorns Rallying Behind Kicker Bert Auburn Despite Recent Struggles

Following two missed field goal attempts to win the game against Arizona State, Auburn's teammates remain confident in his talents going into the Cotton Bowl.

Dec 7, 2024; Atlanta, GA, USA; Texas Longhorns place kicker Bert Auburn (45) kicks a field goal against the Georgia Bulldogs during the first half in the 2024 SEC Championship game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images / Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

Looking back at it, the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl could've ended in a win for the Texas Longhorns much earlier in the game if not for two missed field goal attempts by senior kicker Bert Auburn to leave the Longhorns fighting in double overtime.

Auburn missed a 48-yarder and a 38-yarder, his first failed attempt inside 40 yards this season, with five minutes left in the fourth quarter against Arizona State after previously making every extra point and his first field goal attempt.

The two missed kicks caused an uproar on social media that criticized not only Auburn's performance against the Sun Devils, but his entire 2024 career. He's had his worst season in three years with the Longhorns, dropping from 82.9% last season to a 64% this season.

But despite the outside noise, Auburn's teammates have spoken out on how they continue to trust him and rally with him to make the most of the opportunities he'll receive in the Cotton Bowl this Friday.

"We stay on Bert. Nobody's perfect, so just being there for him and telling him, you're going to get another opportunity," wide receiver Matthew Golden said during Monday's media availability. "So just being able to capitalize off that and not reflect on the past [and] just being there for him."

Junior offensive tackle Kelvin Banks Jr. said that Auburn's confidence hasn't wavered since the Arizona State game, and the team's faith in him hasn't either.

"Bert has been himself. I don't think any athlete -- people go through slumps. I mean, I've had slumps before where stuff happens. You kind of just got to move on from it and just brush it off," Banks said. "But Bert, he's been doing fine, he's been doing good in practice. You know what I'm saying, his confidence doesn't look like it's gone away at all. We trust him as a team and we believe in his ability to go out there and make field goals."

Senior defensive back Jahdae Barron reiterated that the team believes in Auburn's ability to redeem himself against Ohio State and that everyone will continue to stand behind him no matter what.

“He’s made a lot of amazing kicks for us in the past. He’s going to come up big when we need him. So if he could just block out the noise, he knows that we’re riding with him, that’s what the culture is here — no matter the ups and downs, we’re always going to pick somebody up,” Barron said.

No matter what happens for the remainder of the season, Auburn has already secured his spot as the starting kicker for next year, and stands as the only viable option for the job.

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