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.”
Robert Czeremcha tied a program record with five field goals as FIU topped New Mexico State 22-3 in its Conference USA opener. The sophomore from Miami, Florida, is the first Panther with five makes since 2008. His 5-for-5 night saw conversions from 21, 33, 40, 48, and 52 yards, one shy of matching FIU’s longest ever field goal. The night nearly doubled his season field goal total, bringing him to 11 to tie for seventh in the country.
Eastern Michigan is 3-0 in conference play for the first time since 1995 thanks to four field goals from Rudy Kessinger, the last of which lifted the Eagles to a 25-23 win over Akron. The junior from Columbus, Ohio, had already connected from 22, 23, and 33 yards before knocking through the eventual winner from 48 yards out with less than two minutes to go. The 4-for-4 performance was the first of his career and the most by an Eastern Michigan kicker in five years.
There were longer field goals this week, but no kick was bigger than reigning Groza winner Tate Sandell’s 47-yarder as time expired to knock off top-ranked Texas 27-24 in the annual Red River Rivalry game. It marked Oklahoma’s first win over a No. 1- ranked team since 2007 and only the second time in program history that the Sooners scored game-winning points with no time left on the clock. Down by 10 at the half, the fifth-year from Port Neches, Texas, started off the comeback with a 53-yard field goal, his first long-distance make of the season.
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 X, Facebook, and Instagram.
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 nearly 1,000 recipients since 1935. This season, 12 NCFAA awards will honor national players of the week each Tuesday.
For more information about the NCFAA and its award programs, visit NCFAA.org or follow on X at @NCFAA and Instagram @TheNCFAA.
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.