Daniel Carlson set the bar pretty high for himself as a sophomore.
Auburn's returning placekicker set a pair of school records and was named one of three Lou Groza Award finalists. Where would the Tigers be without him?
"We'd be in trouble," said special teams coordinator Scott Fountain. "That gives us a big edge in that area... Been very pleased with how Daniel's performed this spring after having such a good year last season."
With expectations now higher than ever, Carlson feels little pressure and is focused more on the mental side of his game than the physical side. While Carlson made 23 kicks last year and only missed four, two of them were inside the 20-29 yard range.
"A lot of fundamentals," Carlson said. "I missed two short kicks. Muscle memory will clean those up. A lot of it is mental. I need to be focused. I'm just trying to mature in that sense."
Carlson and his teammates are taking of advantage of the increased reps they have this spring to work out the kinks.
"(I can) kick my leg out a little bit extra because I don't have a game I'm trying to be fresh for," Carlson said. "I'm happy with where I'm at right now. The snap, hold and kick is nice and smooth and the line's doing a great job blocking up front. I think we're learning a lot, improving and hopefully it will pay off next season."
Tyler Stovall, who spent five seasons in Minor League Baseball prior to his arrival on the Plains, has been Auburn's holder since 2013. He related the "strong bond" he has with Carlson to that of a pitcher and a catcher.
"I really try to make sure he's getting through the ball and I'm right there with him," Stovall said. "We just have that camaraderie... I want to take the ease off him. I want him not to worry about anything besides making that kick."
"If I'm missing a kick he can tell what I'm doing wrong and give me some insight," added Carlson. "He's another pair of eyes. He keeps me accountable and keeps me working hard."
Considering his recent success, Carlson isn't ruling out the possibility of kicking professionally. He's curious to see how Florida State's Roberto Aguayo fares in the NFL Draft after becoming the first kicker in 16 year to forego his senior season. Carlson has also remained in touch with former Auburn kicker Cody Parkey.
"He's had a difficult journey," Carlson said of Parkey. "The first year he was a Pro Bowler and then he gets hurt. Now he's on IR (injured reserve.)
"I'm just going to get my degree, I'm graduating this summer and then hopefully I'll get an MBA here or something. If football works out, it works out, but I'm going to try and have four solid years playing here and hopefully break some records along the way, you never know. I'm just going to do what I can to help the team. I'm really enjoying it here. I'm happy to be here."