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.”
After spending three seasons watching Lou Groza Award winner Graham Nicholson from the sidelines, Dom Dzioban finally got his shot at the spotlight and made good on the opportunity not once, but twice. The junior from Frankfort, Ill. connected from a career-long 47 yards as time expired to force overtime and then came through from 43 to give Miami University a 23-20 win over Massachusetts. Add in a 37 yarder in the first half and Dzioban nearly doubled his career field goal total with a 3-for-3 performance in his first season as the RedHawks’ place-kicker after converting to punter during Nicholson’s award-winning stint.
Arizona won its first Big 12 conference game in shocking fashion, knocking off top-ten Utah on the road 23-10 thanks in part to some big kicks by Tyler Loop. The senior from Lucas, Texas scored all of Arizona’s points in the first and third quarters, making field goals from 53, 47 and 33 yards out, giving the Wildcats a 13-point lead going into the fourth. The 3-for-4 performance actually lowered his career field goal percentage to 84.8%, the second-best career rate by an active kicker with at least 50 attempts.
Tristan Mattson’s first field goal as a Chippewa was a game-winner, and now so is his most recent. The senior from Clarkson, Mich. lifted Central Michigan to victory for the second time in his career, this one coming from 46 yards out for a 22-21 win over San Diego State. Mattson also opened and closed the first half’s scoring with field goals from 34 and 25 yards. He has been true on his last seven attempts, moving to 8-for-9 on the season to rank inside the nation’s top-ten on field goals made.
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 @LouGrozaAward on Twitter.
