As we continue our coverage of post-season award lists, we get word that it is time to look at the kickers. The Lou Groza Award has four ACC kickers on the newly released semifinalist list.
The panel of voters for the award is comprised of FBS head coaches, college football media members, and former Groza winners. Palm Beach County Sports Commission gives the award to the best placekicker in the country. Seventeen semifinalists were named on Tuesday.
Ben Sauls
The Pitt kicker was a big reason the Panthers started 7-0 this season. He has now made 17 of 20 field goal attempts. Four of them were from 50 or more yards away. Pitt had six games this year where Sauls hit at least two field goals. In back-to-back wins over Cal and Syracuse he hit a 58-yarder and a 57-yarder.
Collin Rogers
SMU’s placekicker has seven field goals of at least 50 yards this season. That leads the country. One more pf 50+ yards over the last two regular season games will tie the FBS record. The Mustangs were 6-0 in conference play through last weekend. Sauls is 19 of 25 in field goals on the season and 40 of 40 on PATs.
Ryan Fitzgerald
The redshirt senior from Florida State was also a semifinalist last season. Even while the Seminoles have struggled this season, Fitzgerald has been spot on. He is 11 for 11 on field goal attempts and 10 for 10 in PATs. They are both pretty astonishing stats considering FSU’s problems scoring this season.
Andres Borregales
Miami has one of the most explosive offenses in the country so far this season. The senior kicker is 13 of 14 in field goal attempts. He is a perfect two for two from 50 yards or more. Because Miami is the highest-scoring team in the country, his leg is also getting a lot of work on extra points, where he is a perfect 48 for 48. Borregales is a four time Groza semifinalist.
The entire list of semifinalists and their backgrounds can be found here.
Three finalists will be named on November 26th. All of them will be honored at the Groza dinner on December 9th. The winner will be announced at the Home Depot Awards Show on December 12th. Editor’s note: The story’s author is a voter for the Groza Award.
