Steve McLaughlin finished his four-year career at the University of Arizona by finally winning the 1994 Lou Groza Award. The record-setting Wildcat finished the year making 23 field goals and earned All-American honors. McLaughlin displayed his accuracy by making all 26 extra points that he attempted. He also liked to showcase his explosiveness, as he made field goals from 53 and 54 yards away. McLaughlin tied a school record by kicking at least three field goals in four games. McLaughlin finished his career in Tucson by placing third on the school’s all-time scoring chart with 278 points. The St. Louis Rams drafted him in the third round of the 1995 NFL Draft.

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.