AUBURN, Ala. – Is Daniel Carlson ever going to miss a field goal?

The Auburn kicker made all six of his field goals (51, 29, 29, 31, 37, 29) in Saturday’s 18-13 win over LSU, and after the game, he was carried off the field on his teammates’ shoulders. He’s now 12 of 12 on the season and quickly becoming the most popular guy on the team.

“It’s unexpected I guess,” Carlson said Tuesday. “It’s been a lot of fun, but I’m just a part of this team. I know my role is just to help out this team, and it’s a role that I can be the hero or the goat. If I keep making kicks, it goes well. But once I start missing kicks, people are going to question, ‘Hey, what’s he doing?’

“That’s why I enjoy it. There is a lot of pressure, but that makes it exciting. When you do well, that makes it really fun.”

The last couple days have certainly been fun for Carlson, who said he felt like he’s been on Cloud 9 ever since Saturday’s game. On Monday, he was named the SEC special teams player of the week, and he was also recognized as one of the Lou Groza Award’s three “Stars of the Week” for his performance against LSU.

That high will be short-lived, though. The redshirt junior from Colorado says he has a couple of tests this week that could bring him back to reality.

Carlson might not play a sexy position such as quarterback or running back or wide receiver, but Auburn coach Gus Malzahn put it best this week when he called his kicker a game-changer. Every time the Tigers cross an opponent’s 40-yard line, they’re in field-goal range.

“He’s a weapon,” Malzahn said. “You’ve got confidence to let him kick it 50-plus. There are not a whole lot of coaches that have that luxury. He’s a guy that’s kicking just about every one [kickoffs] in the end zone. The stress of covering kicks – we played three top-20 teams who all had great returners back there – he’s kicking the thing in the end zone.”

Carlson has made both of his field-goal attempts from 50-plus yards this season, with his long (53) coming against Clemson in the opener. That’s just scratching the surface on his range, though. Malzahn said he trusts Carlson from 60 yards and in, and the two have had conversations about trying a longer kick possibly at the end of the half or the end of a game.

So what’s the longest field goal Carlson has ever made?

“Seventy,” he said. “I made that a couple times back in Colorado and here, but I mean 65 and in I can do pretty easily without trying to swing any harder or anything. If we needed [65 and in] in a game, we could try that. We’ll see. It depends on the situation, what kind of wind you have, and what kind of weather you have.”

For historical reference, the longest field goal in college football history is 67 yards, accomplished four times, most recently by Fort Hays State’s Tom Odle in 1988. Since then, goal posts have narrowed and kickers are no longer allowed to use a tee.

In 1998, Martin Gramatica of Kansas State made a 65-yard field goal.

But Carlson is more focused on Auburn winning than he is about records or staying perfect. Even he knows that he’s going to miss one eventually, especially if he continues to attempt some of those longer kicks from 50 yards and beyond.

“I’m just going to try and continue to do what I’ve been doing,” Carlson said. “Any of those longer ones, those are always a bonus. But I’m just here to help the team.”