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

John Hoyland tied a career-best with a 4-for-4 field goal performance in Wyoming’s 35-26 win over New Mexico. The Cowboys won their Mountain West opener thanks in large part to the junior, who made a pair of 38-yard kicks to go with connections from 34 and 26 yards out. The Broomfield, Colo. native also made all three PAT attempts for a 15-point game. The 2022 Groza semifinalist is now 8-for-8 on field goals this year and is the only FBS kicker still perfect while having multiple attempts from over 50 yards.

The only kicker with double-digit field goal attempts who has yet to miss is Alabama’s Will Reichard, who added four more to his tally in the Crimson Tide’s 40-17 road romp over Mississippi State. The graduate senior from Hoover, Ala. is now 11-for-11 on the year after connecting from 34, 38 and twice from 48 yards out. A finalist for the Groza Award in 2020, Reichard added four extra points for a 16-point game, the most by a kicker this week. That pushes his career total to 474 points, moving him into the top five among kickers in FBS history.

Drew Stevens was crucial to Iowa’s 26-16 win over Michigan State, with three of his four field goals coming in the second half to turn a six-point deficit into a victory. The sophomore from North Augusta, S.C. kicked his longest field goal of the season, a 53 yarder, to go with makes from 40, 36 and 34 yards out. With two PATs as well, his 14-point game accounted for more than half of Iowa’s scoring. A semifinalist for the Groza Award last year as a freshman, Stevens is off to an 8-for-9 start 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 the Lou Groza Award on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, Instagram, and Threads at @LouGrozaAward.

National College Football Awards Association

The Lou Groza Award is a member of the National College Football Awards Association. Founded in 1997, the NCFAA includes college football’s most prestigious awards and its 24 awards have honored more than 900 recipients dating back to 1935. This season, 12 NCFAA awards will honor national players of the week each Tuesday.

For more information about the NCFAA and its award programs, visit the redesigned NCFAA.org or follow on X at @NCFAA.

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 supports 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, and the Kids Fitness Festival of the Palm Beaches. For more information on the Palm Beach County Sports Commission, go to www.palmbeachsports.com.