Matt Gay was the nation’s leading field goal kicker in the 2017 season. Connecting on 27 of his 31 attempts, the junior set a new Utah single-season record and finished the year with three more makes than any other kicker in the country. But his season was about much more than just that one number. The 27 makes included five field goals from at least 50 yards out, tied for the most in the nation. Those long distance kicks included not one but two connections from 56 yards out, tied for the longest field goals by regular FBS kickers that year. Against San Jose State, he connected from 56 and 50 in the same game, along with two more field goals and six PATs for an 18-point performance. His other 4-for-4 field goal game was even more important, as he provided nearly all the scoring against rival BYU in a 19-13 Holy War victory. In all, he made multiple field goals in nine games, racking up seven games with double-digit points. His 118 points are the third-most by a kicker in the 2017 season, and he’s the only kicker in the top fifteen with fewer than 40 extra point attempts.

Rothe, a junior from Longmont, Colorado, ranks second in the nation in field goal accuracy among qualified FBS kickers, going 15-for-16 thus far. Included in that total is a 51 yarder, making him one of only two kickers in the nation to make a long-distance field goal while still connecting at better than 90% on total attempts. Among FBS kickers who qualified for accuracy leaderboards in each of the last two seasons, his combined 88.2% field goal conversion rate is second in the nation.