Huston Among 20 Semifinalists for the Lou Groza Award

[Dryden]

Nov. 8, 2005

WEST PALM BEACH, FL - The Palm Beach County Sports Institute is proud to announce the 20 semifinalists for the 2005 Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award presented by the FedEx Orange Bowl.

Among the 20 kickers named are 2004 semifinalists, Mason Crosby from Colorado, Darren McCaleb from Southern Mississippi, Brandon Pace from Virginia Tech, Reagan Schneider from Texas-El Paso (UTEP) and Alexis Serna from Oregon State.

And the 2005 Lou Groza Semifinalists are...<pre>Name School FGM FGA FG% Long Points<br>Mike Barrow Idaho 11 13 84.6 50 46<br>Dan Beardall Utah 13 14 92.9 47 68<br>Kenny Byrd New Mexico 12 14 85.7 46 67<br>Brandon Coutu Georgia 17 22 77.3 58 76<br>Mason Crosby Colorado 16 21 76.2 58 78<br>Jad Dean Clemson 20 25 80 47 87<br>John Deraney NC State 11 13 84.6 48 53<br>Brad DeVault Tulsa 12 13 92.3 52 66<br>Connor Hughes Virginia 16 19 84.2 50 73<br>Josh Huston Ohio State 16 19 84.2 47 81<br>Robert Lee East Carolina 12 14 85.7 51 57<br>Darren McCaleb Southern Mississippi 14 16 87.5 47 67<br>Brandon Pace Virginia Tech 14 17 82.4 44 79<br>Garrett Rivas Michigan 17 22 77.3 47 74<br>Jason Robbins Toledo 10 10 100 35 70<br>Kyle Schlicher Iowa 13 16 81.3 52 70<br>Reagan Schneider UTEP 14 15 93.3 49 72<br>Alexis Serna Oregon State 22 24 91.7 47 94<br>Clint Stitser Fresno State 10 11 90.9 44 59<br>Sam Swank Wake Forest 18 22 81.8 51 81</pre>The Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award recognizes the top place-kicker in NCAA Division I-A football. Voters for the award include Division I-A head coaches, sports writers and sportscasters, conference representatives, professional kickers and previous Groza Award finalists.

The three finalists for the Lou Groza Award are announced on Monday, November 21 and are honored at the 14th Annual Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award Dinner on Tuesday, December 6 at the Palm Beach Gardens Marriott. The 2005 Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award winner is announced on Thursday, December 8 during the ESPN Home Depot College Football Award Show in Orlando, Florida.

The award, now in its 14th year, is named for NFL Hall-of-Fame kicker Lou 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. Nicknamed "The Toe," Groza was one of the first people to truly make kicking an art form, and he helped usher in to football the idea that a player could be used exclusively for kicking.

For more information on the 20 Semifinalists, including complete statistics, please visit www.lougrozaaward.com/Candidates/index.htm.

The Lou Groza Award is presented by the FedEx Orange Bowl and is sponsored by BankAtlantic, Clipper Corporate Apparel and Promotions, Continental Airlines, Crooks Printing Services, ESPN Radio 760, ESPN Regional Television, Florida Atlantic University Athletics, Florida Coca-Cola Bottling Company, JBS Destination Solutions, John F. Romano, P.A., KaBloom, Palm Beach Kennel Club, Parallax Productions, Rooney's Public House, Palm Beach Gardens Marriott, Team A-fin-ity Sportfishing, The Breakers, The Palm Beach Post and WPEC News-12.

For more information regarding the Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award, including banquet, hotel and ticket information, please contact the Palm Beach County Sports Institute at (561) 233-3180 or visit www.lougrozaaward.com.

 

[MililaniBuckeye]

If they consider number of touchbacks on kickoffs, they might as well start engraving Josh's name on the trophy right now...

 

[Dryden]

The staff has Huston at 40 touchbacks out of 56 kickoffs. JT said during the press luncheon today that Huston's goal this season was to break Nugent's record. JT promised Josh three more kickoffs this season, the team would have to earn the rest.

 

[tedginn05]

The staff has Huston at 40 touchbacks out of 56 kickoffs. JT said during the press luncheon today that Huston's goal this season was to break Nugent's record. JT promised Josh three more kickoffs this season, the team would have to earn the rest.

Whats Nuge's record?

 

[Dryden]

Whats Nuge's record?

34 touchbacks on 55 kickoffs (regular season/excluding Alamo Bowl).

 

[Dryden]

So honestly, did anyone watching the 2001 game at UCLA say, "Hey, these two guys are both going to win Grozas!" :tongue2:

 

[tedginn05]

34 touchbacks on 55 kickoffs (regular season/excluding Alamo Bowl).

That just shows something right there, he already has more kickoffs(56) in 9 games than Nuge had(55) in 11 games. Now granted we have scored alot more this year then last year, but still. He will be another successful Buckeye kicker that will go in the draft.

 

[MililaniBuckeye]

...he already has more kickoffs(56) in 9 games than Nuge had(55) in 11 games. Now granted we have scored alot more this year then last year, but still...

"Now granted" and "but still" what? You score more, you kickoff more.

You must really work at dreaming up responses like that...

 

[IronBuckI]

If they consider number of touchbacks on kickoffs, they might as well start engraving Josh's name on the trophy right now...

So long as they don't engrave it 'John Huston'.

 

[Pheasant]

So long as they don't engrave it 'John Huston'.

I'm sure his family loves hearing that every week.

 

[NightmaresDad]

Only 2 of those guys listed have more points than Huston.
And I'll bet anything that none of them have 16 consecutive touchbacks!
Hope it stays warm for this week's game so he can get 8 or 10 more.

 

[OSUsushichic]

What the hell, Rivas is on that list. I thought this award was for kicking, not for beer guts.

 

[MililaniBuckeye]

The kid I would like to see win it if Huston doesn't is "3 missed XPs in a game" Serna from Oregon State...he hung tough after that nightmare.

 

[AKAK]

So long as they don't engrave it 'John Huston'.

Hmmm I've never seen the Groza Trophy, does it look like the Maltese Falcon?

 

[BB73]

I think Serna and Crosby will be finalists.

Serna's a story the media members like - he was the guy that blew the LSU game at the start of 2004 for Oregon State when he missed 3 extra points in a 22-21 loss.

Crosby had a 50-yard game-winner against Kansas State, and he can kick long without the thin air. His 58-yarder in Miami avoided a shutout.