College football’s top kicking award, the Palm Beach County Sports Commission Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award presented by the Orange Bowl, recognizes three of the top kickers each week from FBS division teams as the “Stars of the Week.”
South Florida notched the program’s first ever win over Florida when Nico Gramatica’s 20-yard field goal split the uprights as time expired for an 18-16 victory. It was the first game-winning field goal for a USF kicker since 2018. The sophomore from Tampa had already accounted for all of the Bulls’ first-half scoring with field goals from 38 and 25 yards out earlier. It’s the first 3-FG game in Gramatica’s young career following in the footsteps of his father Martin, who won the 1997 Lou Groza Award.
For the second straight year, Kyle Konrardy booted a 54-yard field goal to secure the Cy-Hawk Trophy for Iowa State, this time tipping a tie game to a 16-13 Cyclones victory. The two long-distance winners make him the first Cyclones kicker to ever notch multiple field goals from over 50 against rival Iowa in their career. It also marks the first time Iowa State has topped Iowa in back-to-back seasons since 2011 and 2012. The sophomore from Dubuque, Iowa also connected from 44 and 27 yards out, along with one extra point to very nearly outscore the Hawkeyes by himself.
It’s hard to have a game-winning kick in a 9-point victory, but a last-second pick-six masked that it was Dylan Lynch’s field goal with 29 seconds left that actually put Fresno State ahead in the Bulldogs’ 36-27 victory over Oregon State. The de facto winner wasn’t just Lynch’s third field goal of the game, but his third in the fourth quarter alone. The junior from Bakersfield, California hit from 34 and 28 yards out earlier in the final period before his 43 yarder made it 29-27 with just seconds to go. The win marks Fresno State’s first road victory over Oregon State since 1991.
The Award is named for National Football League Hall of Fame kicker Lou “The Toe” Groza, who played 21 seasons with the Cleveland Browns. Groza won four NFL championships with Cleveland and was named NFL Player of the Year in 1954. Although an All-Pro offensive lineman as well, Groza ushered in the notion that there should be a place on an NFL roster for a kicker.
For more information on the Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award and to see the “Stars of the Week” throughout the season, please go to www.lougrozaaward.com. For even more updates on the best kicking performances throughout the season, follow the Lou Groza Award on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, and Instagram at @LouGrozaAward.
National College Football Awards Association
The Lou Groza Award is a member of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA), which encompasses college football’s most prestigious awards. The NCFAA’s 25 awards have honored more than 950 recipients since 1935. Visit NCFAA.org for more information.
About the Palm Beach County Sports Commission
The Palm Beach County Sports Commission is a private, not-for-profit organization contracted by Palm Beach County to promote and market the County as a sports and sports tourism destination. The Commission brings sporting events and activities to the County, enhances economic impact, stimulates bed tax revenues (primarily in the off-season), and maximizes utilization of County facilities. The Commission offers a full range of event service support, corporate partnerships, sponsorships, and a local membership program that supports its goals. Local, regional, national, and international marketing efforts are ongoing by the Commission with sports organizations and event owners. The Commission also produces sports-related programs for the residents of Palm Beach County including the annual Lou Groza Award program, the Palm Beach County Sports Hall of Fame, and the Kids Fitness Festival of the Palm Beaches. For more information on the Palm Beach County Sports Commission, go to www.palmbeachsports.com.
