Nicholson finished the season 26-for-27 on field goals, with his only miss coming late in Miami’s MAC Championship Game victory over Toledo. With a 23-for-23 regular season, Nicholson set a new FBS record for the most field goals in a perfect regular season, topping 2012 Lou Groza Award winner Cairo Santos’ mark of 21. Add two more to start the MAC Championship Game and he made 25 consecutive field goals, matching the all-time FBS record for the longest streak in one season. Overall, his 26 field goals tied for the second-most in FBS while his 96.3% accuracy was the highest by any kicker with even 15 attempts on the year. He also set the bar for consistency by making field goals in every game of the season. Of the eight FBS kickers who made at least 23 field goals, he’s the only one who can make that claim. He kicked multiple field goals in nine games, including a trio of 3-for-3 performances. In two of those, he outscored the RedHawks’ opponent on his own, totaling 11 points in both a 23-3 win over Kent State and a 23-10 victory over Buffalo.

Cairo Santos converted every field goal he attempted in the 2012-13 season, going a perfect 21-for-21. That makes him just the second kicker in FBS history to stay perfect throughout a season in which he attempted 20 or more field goals, joining 1996 Groza winner Marc Primanti. Twelve of those kicks came from 40 or more yards, the most in the nation, including scores from 57 and 54 yards out. The 57 yard kick is the longest in Tulane history. Santos was 26-for-27 on PATs, with a blocked kick in the season opener, the only blemish on an otherwise perfect season.