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.”

Rodrigo Blankenship continued his perfect season and earned a second Star of The Week selection with a 13-point performance in Georgia’s 43-14 rout of Tennessee on the road in SEC action on Saturday. The senior from Marietta, Ga. started with a 50-yard field goal, his second make from that range this season and the fifth in his career. He also scored from 34 and 27 yards to bring his season mark to 11-for-11 on field goals. He added 4 PATs and has not missed a conversion this season on 25 attempts. He is tied for second in FBS in field goals, while his team-leading 58 points are the most by a kicker. 

Freshman Matt Mercurio made his way into the San Jose State record books by kicking four field goals in the Spartans’ 32-21 defeat of New Mexico in a Mountain West matchup in San Jose, Calif. on Friday night. The Salinas, Calif. native connected from a career-long 49 yards as well as from 33 and twice from 24 yards out. The four makes in one game ties the all-time school record and more than doubled his season total. He is now 7-for-10 on field goals, including a blocked attempt this week. He added two conversions for a 14-point game, bringing his season total to a team-leading 36.

Ryan Rimmler set a personal best with his four field goals in Ball State’s 27-20 defeat of Northern Illinois in their MAC opener in Dekalb, Ill. on Saturday. The senior from Heidelberg, Germany became the first Cardinal to hit four field goals in a game since 2014 with makes from 45, 25, 24 and 22 yards. Taking over as the starting place-kicker this year, he’s now 9-for-13 on the season including seven field goals in his last two games. He made his only extra point try to move to 15-for-15 on PATs and leads all Ball State scorers with 42 points.

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/.