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.”

2019 Groza Award semifinalist Gabe Brkic tied his own program record with four field goals in Oklahoma’s 33-14 defeat of TCU on the road in Fort Worth, Texas on Saturday. The sophomore from Chardon, Ohio had makes of 40, 38, 32 and 22 yards out, with a 54-yard attempt bouncing off the crossbar to keep him from a 5-for-5 day. Brkic did add three PATs to bring his season total to 17-for-17. With fifteen points on the day his season total is 41 which leads all Sooner players in scoring.

Wake Forest junior Nick Sciba earned his second consecutive Star of the Week selection, booting three field goals in the Deacons’ 23-16 upset of #19 Virginia Tech in ACC action in Winston-Salem, N.C. on Saturday. The junior from Clover, S.C. connected from 46, 41 and 28 yards.  After a 2-for-5 start on the season, the 2019 Groza Award semifinalist has made eight consecutive field goals to bring his season total to 10-for-13. The 10 field goals tie him for 4^th in the nation. Sciba made both extra point attempts, moving to 19-for-19 on the season. His team-leading 49 points on the season are tied for 7^th among FBS kickers.

Senior kicker Dalton Witherspoon contributed three field goals including a personal-best 53 yarder in Houston’s 37-21 defeat of the Midshipmen of Navy in Annapolis, Md. on Saturday.  The Moore, Okla. native also scored from 45 and 33 yards out, scoring the Cougars’ first 9 points of the game. The 53-yard field goal ties the Houston program record, longer than any Cougar kick since 2004. Witherspoon made all four conversion tries and is 13-for-13 on PATs, moving his streak at Houston to a perfect 125-for-125. His 28 points in three games lead the team in scoring.

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.