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.”
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.”
Jesus Gomez’s fourth field goal of the game came as time expired, lifting Arizona State to a 27-24 road victory over Baylor. The 43-yard kick is the Sun Devils’ first walk-off winner since 2018. The senior from Puebla, Mexico had earlier connected from 33, 31 and 21 yards out, becoming the first Arizona State kicker with four field goals in a game since 2022. With his only miss this season coming on a 57-yard attempt, Gomez now sits at 9-for-10 on the year, tied for 5th in FBS for made field goals and just two shy of Arizona State’s team total all of last season.
Tulsa traveled down the road to Stillwater and knocked off Oklahoma State 19-12 thanks in large part to four field goals from Seth Morgan. It’s the first time the Golden Hurricane have defeated the Cowboys on their rival’s home turf since 1951. All four of Morgan’s field goals came as uninterrupted scores, turning an early 7-3 lead into a 19-3 gap going into the fourth quarter. The senior from Houston connected from 27, 38 and twice from 47 yards out, becoming the first Tulsa kicker with a 4-FG performance since 2020.
The powerful leg of Dominic Zvada continued to pay dividends for Michigan in a close 30-27 win over Nebraska. Last year, the two-time Groza semifinalist went 7-for-7 from long distance for the Wolverines. This week, his 56-yard field goal opened the second-half scoring, breaking a 17-17 tie to give Michigan a lead they would not relinquish the rest of the game. He added kicks from 46 and 21 yards out for a 3-for-3 day. The senior from Chandler, Arizona added three PATs for a 12-point performance, his second double-digit scoring effort of the year.
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.
