Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze typically doesn’t interact much with kickers, but he made an exception during Auburn’s 43-41 victory over Texas A&M on Saturday.
Newly appointed starting kicker Ian Vachon went 2-for-3 on field goals in the game. After Vachon’s missed attempt, Freeze didn’t hold back. “I don’t know why, but I told him, ‘Dude, that was the worst attempt at a kick I’ve ever seen you make,’” Freeze shared.
Despite the critique, Vachon wasn’t fazed. He rebounded with a crucial field goal to tie the game and force overtime, followed by a 41-yard game-winner in overtime. “He just shook it off,” Freeze said. “What a bounce back. I’m so proud of him.”
This was Vachon’s second game as Auburn’s placekicker after replacing true freshman Towns McGough. In his debut, he made both field goal attempts during Auburn’s 48-14 victory over Louisiana-Monroe.
Vachon, who joined Auburn as a walk-on this season, had previously played at Birmingham-Southern until the school’s football program was disbanded. Freeze praised Vachon’s journey and resilience. “What a story,” Freeze said. “His school cancels football, we pull him out of the classroom — and give Tanner [Burns] credit for finding him. Now, here he is, making critical kicks for us.”
With his two successful field goals against Texas A&M, Vachon is now 4-for-5 on the season. More importantly, his late-game heroics helped Auburn improve to 5-6, putting them one win away from bowl eligibility. Without Vachon’s clutch performance, the Tigers wouldn’t be in this position.