The nation’s leading field goal kicker in 2018 was Andre Szmyt. Connecting on 28 of his 32 attempts, the freshman set a new Atlantic Coast Conference single-season record and finished the year with three more makes than any other kicker in the country. But his season was about so much more than just that one number. The 28 field goals included a perfect 3-for-3 mark on kicks from at least 50 yards. Against Pittsburgh, he connected on a season-long 54 yarder to give the Orange the lead late in the fourth quarter. It was his third field goal of the game, part of a stretch of four straight games in which he made three kicks. In fact, he made multiple field goals in each of the first ten games of the season, culminating in a 4-for-4 performance against Louisville. It’s no surprise then that he also scored double-digit points in each of those first ten games, helping him to a season total of 141 that lead the nation not only in kick-scoring but in scoring by any player regardless of position. While his totals grab the headlines – and don’t forget his perfect 57-for-57 extra point attempts – it hasn’t come at the expense of accuracy. His 87.5 field goal percentage was 2nd in the nation by kickers with more than 20 attempts.

Christopher Dunn capped a record-setting career with his finest single season, going 24-for-25 on field goals. Both the total field goals and the 96% hit rate rank second in FBS this season, while his accuracy mark is the best by any kicker with at least 20 attempts. Dunn was perfect over his first 22 attempts, going all the way into the regular season’s final game without a miss, drawing comparisons to 1996 Groza Award winner Marc Primanti’s perfect season. He made multiple field goals in eight games this year, most notably in the Wolfpack’s 19-17 win over Florida State. In that game, he went 4-for-4 on field goals, scoring the last 9 points of the game to turn a four-point deficit into a two-point win. That game also featured his longest field goal of the season, a 53-yarder in the fourth quarter.

Long field goals were one of his hallmarks this year, tied for second in the country with 17 field goals from at least 30 yards out and one of just four FBS kickers with at least 10 kicks from 40 yards or more. The fifth-year starter entered the year already NC State’s program leader in field goals and points, but this year’s performance put him over the top in the ACC record books and among the top performers in FBS history. His 93 career field goals are second all-time only to 2016 Groza winner Zane Gonzalez, while his 479 career points are the fourth-most by any FBS kicker ever.