Memphis Tigers
Miami, FL
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Tipp City, OH
Junior
Bowling Green Falcons
Cincinnati, OH
Senior
Alabama Crimson Tide
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.
Daytona Beach, FL
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Florida State Seminoles
Sebastian Janikowski became the first two-time winner of the Lou Groza Award in 1999. Janikowski was successful on 23 of 30 field goal attempts and was perfect on 47 extra points tries, leading his Florida State Seminoles to the National Championship. He booted five field goals in a game against North Carolina State and hit the game-winner against Clemson in a 17-14 victory. After the season, Janikowski decided to forego his senior year of eligibility and entered the NFL Draft, where the Oakland Raiders took him with the 17th pick of the first round of the 2000 Draft. He ended his career in Tallahassee as the third-leading scorer in FSU history with 324 points.