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.”

Connor Assalley contributed 13 points to Iowa State’s 37-30 upset of Oklahoma in Big 12 action in Ames, Iowa Saturday night. It was the Cyclones’ first home victory over the Sooners since 1960. The senior from Naperville, Illinois made field goals of 35, 32, and 26 yards. He has made 11 consecutive field goals which is second all-time at ISU. Assalley added four extra points, the last of which gave him an even 200 in his career, the eighth-best mark among Cyclone kickers. His 22 points are second on the team in scoring this season.

TCU sophomore Griffin Kell kicked four field goals, his first makes of the season, to lead the Horned Frogs to a 33-31 road win over Texas in Austin on Saturday. The Arlington, Texas scored 9 straight points, connecting from 27, 32, and 49 yards to turn a tie game into a 23-14 cushion in the second half. He then opened the fourth quarter with a 28 yarder, giving him more field goals in one game than he had in his entire freshman season. Kell added three PATs for a 15-point game that ties for the ninth-best kicking performance in TCU history.

Chris Naggar’s 43-yard field goal with nine seconds left on the clock gave SMU a 30-27 conference victory over a ranked Memphis team in Dallas, Texas on Saturday. The senior from Arlington, Texas also connected from 27 and 25 yards to bring his season totals to 7-for-7, the third-best mark in the country. He accounted for all the Mustangs’ points in the second half. Naggar also made his three extra point attempts to bring his scoring total for the season to 42 points, the most by a kicker and tied for second among all players in the country.

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.