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.”

Texas sophomore Bert Auburn kicked four field goals for the first time in his short career, but the Longhorns fell short 20-19 in a seesaw battle with top-ranked Alabama in Austin, Texas on Saturday. The Flower Mound, Texas native connected from 33, 26 and 24 yards, plus a late 49 yarder that looked like it may provide the upset until 2020 Groza Award finalist Will Reichard answered with the game-winner. Auburn also made his only PAT attempt for a 13-point game. His 5 field goals thus far tie him for fourth in the country.

Wyoming sophomore John Hoyland has made 10 of 11 field goal tries in the first three games to take the early FBS lead. He already has two 4-FG games this season, the latest coming in the Cowboys’ 33-10 defeat of Northern Colorado in Laramie, Wyo. on Saturday. The Broomfield, Colo. native connected from 41, 39, 35 and 23 yards out and added three PATs for a 15-point game. With 37 points already, he is the leading scorer among all FBS players regardless of position.

Georgia senior Jack Podlesny didn’t get any attempts in the Bulldogs’ opener, but he made up for lost time by going 4-for-5 in a 33-0 shutout of Samford in Athens, Ga. on Saturday. The St. Simons Island, Ga. native connected from 27, 26 and twice from 25 yards out, with the only blemish a 54-yard miss that marks the first errant attempt from long distance in his career. He made his three PAT tries for a 15-point game, the most by a Georgia kicker since Groza Award winner Rodrigo Blankenship racked up 17 in 2017.

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.