Palm Beach County Sports Commission

College football’s top kicking award, the Palm Beach County Sports Commission Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award presented by the Orange Bowl recognizes three of the top kickers each week from FBS division teams as the “Stars of the Week.”

Georgia Southern senior and 2018 Groza Award semifinalist Tyler Bass kicked four field goals in a game for the first time to help the Eagles defeat Maine 26-18 in Statesboro, Ga. on Saturday. The Irmo, S.C. native connected from 40, 37, 31 and 20 yards away and was successful on both PAT attempts for a 14-point game. Bass has made 5 of his 6 field goal attempts after two weeks of the season.

Sophomore Peyton Henry’s outstanding performance wasn’t quite enough as the Washington Huskies lost to the California Golden Bears 20-19 in a key Pac-12 game delayed over two hours by lightning in Seattle on Saturday night. The Danville, Calif. native set a new career high by kicking four field goals in the game, a mark no Huskies kicker had reached since 2010. He connected from 36, 25, 21 and a career long 49 yards. After two weeks, Henry has scored a team-leading 22 points and has not missed, going 5-for-5 on field goals and 7-for-7 on extra points.

Sophomore Cristian Zendejas was the star of the game as Arizona State defeated Sacramento State 19-7 in Tempe, Ariz. on Friday night, providing most of the scoring with four field goals and an extra point. The Chandler, Ariz. native connected from 36, 35, and twice from 26 yards for a 13-point game that brings his total to a team-leading 25. He is one of three kickers tied for the FBS lead at a perfect 7-for-7 on field goals.

The Award is named for National Football League Hall of Fame kicker Lou “The Toe” Groza, who played 21 seasons with the Cleveland Browns. Groza won four NFL championships with Cleveland and was named NFL Player of the Year in 1954. Although an All-Pro offensive lineman as well, Groza ushered in the notion that there should be a place on an NFL roster for a kicker.

For more information on the Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award and to see the “Stars of the Week” throughout the season, please go to www.lougrozaaward.com. For even more updates on the best kicking performances throughout the season, follow @LouGrozaAward on Twitter.

The Lou Groza Award will be presented live as part of the ESPN Home Depot College Football Awards Show in Atlanta, Ga. on Thursday, December 12. The three finalists will be honored during a celebration in Palm Beach County, culminating with the 28th Annual Lou Groza Collegiate
Place-Kicker Award Banquet, presented by the Orange Bowl, on Monday, December 9.

National College Football Awards Association

The Lou Groza Award is a member of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA), which encompasses the most prestigious awards in college football. Founded in 1997, the NCFAA and its 25 awards now boast over 800 recipients, dating to 1935. Visit NCFAA.org to learn more about the association.

About the Palm Beach County Sports Commission

The Palm Beach County Sports Commission is a private, not-for-profit organization contracted by Palm Beach County to promote and market the County as a sports and sports tourism destination. The Commission brings sporting events and activities to the County, enhances economic impact, stimulates bed tax revenues (primarily in the off-season), and maximizes utilization of County facilities. The Commission offers a full range of event service support, corporate partnerships, sponsorships and a local membership program that support its goals. Local, regional, national and international marketing efforts are ongoing by the Commission with sports organizations and event owners. The Commission also produces sports-related programs for the residents of Palm Beach County including the annual Lou Groza Award program, the Palm Beach County Sports Hall of Fame, and the Kids Fitness Festival of the Palm Beaches. For more information on the Palm Beach County Sports Commission, go to www.palmbeachsports.com/.