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 top kickers each week from FBS division teams as the “Stars of the Week.”

Missouri sophomore Harrison Mevis kicked three field goals in the Tigers’ 37-28 defeat of Vanderbilt in SEC action at Nashville, Tenn. on Saturday. Mevis ran his string of consecutive field goals to 19 with a 52-yard bomb and makes from 46 and 32 yards. He added four extra points. The Warsaw, Ind. native has yet to miss a kick this season, improving his totals to 11-for-11 on field goals and 35-for-35 on PATs. With Saturday’s 12 points, he brings his season total to 68, which is second among all Missouri players.

Michigan kicker Jake Moody moved into second place for field goals in FBS by adding four in the Wolverines’ 37-33 loss to Michigan State in East Lansing, Mich. on Saturday. With makes of 38, 36, 35 and 26 yards out, the senior from Northville, Mich. is now 18-for-20 on the season. Moody added three PATs for a season total of 31-for-31. The 15-point performance improved his already double-digit scoring average, giving him 85 for the season which ranks second among kickers.

Old Dominion earned its first win over a fellow FBS team since 2018 thanks to the leg of senior Nick Rice. The senior from St. Petersburg, Fla. opened the game with a 36-yard field goal, tied it late from 29 yards, and triumphed from 46 yards as time expired to give the Monarchs a 23-20 victory over Louisiana Tech in Norfolk, Va. on Saturday. The three field goals extended Rice’s own program record to 57. For the season, he is 13-for-15 on field goals and 20-for-21 on extra points, giving him a team-leading 59 points.

Graduate transfer Noah Ruggles made all four of his field goal attempts in Ohio State’s 33-24 defeat of Penn State in their Big Ten game in Columbus, Ohio on Saturday night. The Odessa, Fla. native connected from 35, 26, 25 and 23 yards. The former North Carolina Tarheel has now converted on 20 consecutive attempts inside of 50 yards, including all 11 of his field goals as a Buckeye. He made three PATs for a 15-point game, his sixth straight in double-digits. With 11 field goals and 47 extra points, his 58 total kicks are the most by an FBS kicker who has yet to miss this season. 

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.