ASU kicker Zane Gonzalez named Lou Groza award finalist
Nov 21, 2016, 4:03 PM
(Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
(Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
Arizona State senior Zane Gonzalez is one of three finalists in the running for the 25th Lou Groza Award, an honor given to college football’s best place kicker, the Palm Beach County Sports Commission announced Monday.
The Deer Park, Texas, native broke the NCAA field goal record for a career on Oct. 8 against the UCLA Bruins and has gone 23-of-24 on field goals heading into ASU’s visit to face the rival Arizona Wildcats this week. Those kicks have been at an average of 40.9 yards.
He’s hit an NCAA-best 13 from 40 yards or beyond and gone 7-of-8 from 50 or more yards, the latter of which stands as the second-most ever made from that distance for an FBS season. His long of 59 yards gave him the record for career points by a kicker.
Gonzalez has earned the Lou Groza Star of the Week award four times this season.
Auburn kicker Daniel Carlson and Georgia Southern’s Younghoe Koo are the other two finalists for the yearly award. The winner will be announced at ESPN’s college football award show on Thursday, Dec. 8 at 5 p.m. MST.
Gonzalez could join Thomas Weber as the only Sun Devils to win the Lou Groza Award. Weber took home the honor in 2007.
