A Duke University student missed a field goal kick with $1 million on the line Saturday, hitting a camera instead.
The Duke student who participated in “Pat McAfee’s Kicking Contest” needed to make a 33-yard field goal attempt through the goal posts in order to win the cash prize. The competition was a new segment of the popular “College GameDay” show, which airs every Saturday morning on ESPN during college football season. (RELATED: Pat McAfee Calls Jackson Mahomes And Brittany Matthews ‘The Tag Team Of Insufferability’)
In his second attempt, the student, wearing a blue number 27 Duke jersey, awkwardly ran up to the ball, kicking it a few yards before it flew into other fans. Another camera angle shows the ball directly drilling a fan who was recording the event.
Juuuuuust a bit outside! 😂😅@CollegeGameDay pic.twitter.com/GSmgE8Oe3m
— Duke Athletics (@DukeATHLETICS) September 30, 2023
College Gameday host Kirk Herbstreit, who served as the student’s holder, immediately jumped up from the ground and laughed rapturously. McAfee, jokingly ripped into the student, saying he barely sent the ball four yards, let alone 33.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oi7houpj-5w
McAfee then turned to the camera and said the student’s flubbed kick should serve as a reminder that kicking is hard and fans should have more compassion for kickers.
“So when you see a college kicker maybe get plucked out of the world on a Sunday and miss a kick on a Saturday like what happened to Clemson, have a little bit of empathy. It is not easy at all,” McAfee said.
The Duke Blue Devils were scheduled to play the Notre Dame Fighting Irish the same day.