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.”
With no timeouts and no room for error, Aidan Birr came through from 55 yards out as time expired to lift Georgia Tech to a 24-21 upset of Clemson. The blast marked just the sixth walk-off winner in program history, but the second of the Kennedale, Texas native’s career, having done the same to Florida State in last year’s opener. The 55-yarder also ties for Georgia Tech’s longest ever field goal and makes Birr the first Yellow Jacket to connect from that distance since 1986. His 3-for-3 day also included makes from 42 and 40 yards out, as the junior extended his lead as Georgia Tech’s all-time most accurate career kicker.
The season’s first five-field-goal performance came from Houston’s Ethan Sanchez, and only a 50-yard miss kept him from going a perfect 6-for-6 in the Cougars’ 36-20 win over Colorado. It’s not that distance was a problem; the senior from Dallas, Georgia connected from 52, 49, 47, 43 and 35 yards out. Only one FBS kicker has more makes from 40+ yards over the entire season than Sanchez converted in Friday’s game alone. The 52-yard make is Houston’s first long-distance field goal since 2021. He added three PATs for an 18-point total.
In a pressure-packed battle to open SEC play, Georgia’s Peyton Woodring kept his cool and connected on all three field goal attempts on the road in front of nearly 102,000 Tennessee fans, helping the Bulldogs to a 44-41 overtime victory. The junior from Lafayette, Louisiana hit on attempts from 48, 24 and 20 yards out, ensuring the Bulldogs came away with vital points in a back-and-forth battle. Woodring has made it a habit of coming up biggest in the toughest games, as the performance marked his 6th career 3-for-3 game with all of them coming either on the road, against top-20 opponents, or as was the case Saturday, both.
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.
