By Mallory Mattingly
Auburn kicker Alex McPherson found his redemption this week after securing six made field goals for the Tigers in their win over Arkansas.
The week prior, McPherson missed three kicks in the Tigers overtime loss to Missouri.
“You know, he was the first one in my office Monday to say, ‘I’m sorry, Coach. I lost that game for you,’” Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze said of McPherson after the Tigers beat the Razorbacks. “I said, ‘Dude, I believe in you. You’re going to make the next one,’ and he ties the school record today with six [field goals], so what a redemption story that is, and I’m so thrilled for him.”
After every kick, whether the ball sailed through the pylons or not, McPherson points upward to give glory to God.
Related: Auburn Coach Hugh Freeze Declares God’s ‘Love Never Changes’
That gesture got the attention of Barstool Sports founder, Dave Portnoy, who posted on X, “This bothers me. You shouldn’t be allowed to pretend you hit a FG when you missed you [sic] 19th chip shot of the game. #Auburn.”
This bothers me. You shouldn’t be allowed to pretend you hit a Fg when you missed you 19th chip shot of the game #Auburn pic.twitter.com/PDfjWXJ9CS
— Dave Portnoy (@stoolpresidente) October 19, 2025
McPherson addressed the controversy, telling the media, “All I’m going to say is I praise the Lord whenever I miss and whenever I make. You praise Him in the highs as well as the lows. You don’t praise Him in one moment. You praise Him in all moments. That’s what I’m going to continue to do. God’s got me. He’s got my back. He’s the reason I’m back on that field and I’ve got to praise Him no matter what.”
Many fans jumped to McPherson’s defense on Portnoy’s X post.
“He’s thanking God, as he spent most on the last year in the hospital fighting for his life,” one person wrote.
Last year, McPherson spent his entire season battling ulcerative colitis, an inflammatory bowel disease. The kicker ultimately needed major surgery to “remove his large intestine — a grueling recovery that tested him physically, emotionally and spiritually. He said that surgery saved his life,” Sports Spectrum reported.
“I wouldn’t be here or playing football again without the surgery,” McPherson told the Montgomery Advertiser. “I think it was definitely the right decision for me and my family. I’m glad I did it.”
McPherson refused to let the three missed kicks define the rest of his season. Instead, he went out against Arkansas and secured six made field goals, which “tied a single-game school and conference record.”
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