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Lambert Named to Groza Award Watch List
July 07, 2016 01:53 PM | Football
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – West Virginia University senior Josh Lambert is one of 30 kickers from across the nation named to the Lou Groza Award Watch List today by the Palm Beach County Sports Commission.
This year's watch list is headlined by three past finalists, 19 former semifinalists and some of the best emerging talent in college football. It’s a highly competitive year for the players on the Watch List as they vie for the 2016 Lou Groza Collegiate Placekicker Award.
A finalist for the 2014 award, Lambert connected on 21-of-28 field goal attempts as a junior in 2015, including a long of 51 yards at TCU. He made at least one field goal in all but one game last season, hitting three field goal four different times, including the Cactus Bowl against Arizona State. He has led the Mountaineers in scoring the past three years, and needs 48 points to become WVU’s all-time career scoring leader.
In 2015, Lambert tied for No. 1 in the Big 12 Conference and No. 17 nationally in field goals per game and tied for No. 1 in total field goals. He was No. 4 in the Big 12 in overall scoring, No. 3 by kickers and No. 27 nationally.
Last year’s winner, Ka’imi Fairbairn, is now with the Houston Texans, making this the first season since 2012 that the reigning Groza winner does not return to defend the honor. But last year’s two other finalists, Auburn junior Daniel Carlson and Memphis senior Jake Elliott, are back to vie for the award once again. WVU’s Lambert makes the third former finalists to look out for this season.
They are joined by 16 other kickers who have previously been named semifinalists, including Utah senior Andy Phillips who has earned the honor in each of his first three years. To put that consistency in perspective, Elliott, Cincinnati junior Andrew Gantz, and Arizona State senior Zane Gonzalez are the only other active kickers who have been semifinalists even twice.
Ten kickers return to FBS coming off seasons in which they attempted at least 15 field goals and made them at a rate of at least 85%, and all 10 made the Watch List: Oregon junior Aidan Schneider (91.7), Nevada senior Brent Zuzo (89.5), UConn senior Bobby Puyol (88.9), Notre Dame sophomore Justin Yoon (88.2), Texas Tech sophomore Clayton Hatfield (87.5), North Carolina senior Nick Weiler (87.0), California junior Matt Anderson (85.7), Carlson (85.2), Phillips (85.2) and Idaho senior Austin Rehkow (85.2).
Among returning kickers who made at least 70% of their field goals, 11 kicked at least seven from 40 or more yards out, all of whom made the Watch List: Nebraska junior Drew Brown (13), Virginia Tech junior Joey Slye (13), Elliott (10), Miami (FL) junior Michael Badgley (8), Carlson (8), Phillips (8), Boise State senior Tyler Rausa (8), Rehkow (8), Gantz (7), Alabama senior Adam Griffith (7) and Minnesota junior Ryan Santoso (7).
While nearly all of the Watch List members are upperclassmen, four sophomores earned their way on after stellar freshman years, including Clemson’s Greg Huegel, who led the nation in field goals (27) and points (138). Huegel is joined by Hatfield, Oklahoma’s Austin Seibert and Yoon.
While the Watch List highlights 30 of the best returning kickers in the country, the Groza Committee will be watching all FBS kickers during the season and releasing a weekly “Stars of the Week” feature on www.lougrozaaward.com. All FBS kickers remain eligible to be selected as semifinalists.
Accomplishments are tabulated throughout the season and the Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award will announce its 20 semifinalists on Thursday, November 3. From this list, a panel of more than 100 FBS head coaches, SIDs, media members, former Groza finalists, and current NFL kickers selects the top three finalists for the award by Tuesday, November 22. That same group then selects the national winner, who will be announced on Thursday, December 8 during the Home Depot College Football Awards Show.
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 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 Twitter.
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