Palm Beach County Sports Commission

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – 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.”

Junior Anders Carlson kicked three field goals to lead Auburn to a 24-10 victory over Mississippi State in their SEC regular season finale in Starkville, Miss. on Saturday. The Colorado Springs, Colo. native connected from 27, 37 and 45 yards to bring his season totals to 18-for-20 on field goals. He is now fourth all-time at Auburn with 51 career field goals. On Saturday he provided all of the Tigers’ scoring through the first three quarters. He made both PAT attempts for an 11-point game. His 77 points lead all Auburn players in scoring and moves his career total to 268, good for sixth place in the school record book.  

Pitt senior Alex Kessman extended his national lead in field goals with yet another 4-for-4 performance in the Panthers’ 34-20 road win over Georgia Tech in a Thursday night regular season finale. It’s the third 4-for-4 game for the Clarkston, Mich. native this season and the fifth of his career. The four makes, from 30, 27, 25 and 22 yards, give him 23 for the year, matching the Pitt school record. That makes at least the third category he’s topped during this year, along with the program’s longest field goal and the most makes in a career. He added two extra points for a 14-point game that gives him an even 100 on the year, the second-best mark by an FBS kicker this season.

It was a record-breaking night for LSU bomber Cade York who kicked a 57-yard field goal with 23 seconds left to give the Tigers a 37-34 upset victory over Florida in a fog-shrouded game that saw six lead changes at “The Swamp” in Gainesville, Fla. on Saturday night. The sophomore from McKinney, Texas has five field goals of 50+ yards this season, the most in the nation, and now owns the longest kick in LSU history. He is 9-for-11 from that range in his two-year career.  On the season, York is 14-for-17 on field goals and 31-for-31 on extra points. His 13-point game brought his season total to a team-leading 73.

The Lou Groza Award and the Palm Beach County Sports Commission salute Vanderbilt senior Sarah Fuller for her landmark achievement as the first woman to play in a Power 5 conference football game.

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.

National College Football Awards Association

The Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker 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 and @NCFAA on Twitter 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, the Kids Fitness Festival of the Palm Beaches, and the annual Holiday Basketball Classic of the Palm Beaches. For more information on the Palm Beach County Sports Commission, go to www.palmbeachsports.com.