College football’s top kicking award, the Palm Beach County Sports Commission Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award presented by the Orange Bowl, recognizes top kickers each week from FBS division teams as the “Stars of the Week.”
Andres Borregales made four field goals to lead the University of Miami to a 14-12 overtime victory over Virginia in ACC action in Charlottesville, Va. on Saturday. The Miami, Fla. native connected from 38 yards at the end of the first half and sent the game to overtime from 20 yards as time expired. He then traded field goals with Virginia’s Will Bettridge in the first two overtime periods, making from 42 and 37 yards out. Borregales improved to 14-for-17 on field goals for the season and has converted all 25 of his extra point attempts for a team-leading 55 points.
Reigning Lou Groza Award recipient Jake Moody made five field goals in Michigan’s 29-7 defeat of rival Michigan State in Big Ten action in Ann Arbor, Mich. on Saturday night. The five field goals were one shy of his own single-game record. The grad student from Northville, Mich. connected from 39, 33, 25, 22 and a career-long 54 yards out. He has kicked nine field goals in his last two games to jump to 18-for-21 for the season, second in the FBS in makes. Moody added two PATs for a 17-point game, becoming Michigan’s 5th leading career scorer in the process. His 89 points lead the nation in kick-scoring this season.
Iowa freshman Drew Stevens set new high marks in his short career, kicking four field goals in the Hawkeyes’ 33-13 defeat of Northwestern in Big Ten action in Iowa City, Iowa on Saturday. Stevens launched a 54-yard bomb, now his career-long, plus makes from 29, 25 and 24 yards out. The 54 yarder is the longest by a Hawkeye since 2015. The North Augusta, S.C. native added three PATs for a 15-point game, also a new best, and a team-leading 45 points for the season. Stevens is 11-for-12 on field goals for the season which is the most by an Iowa true freshman since 2010.
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.
