Courtesy of UNLV
LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) – UNLV’s Jose Pizano has become the first finalist for a major college football award in program history as he was announced Tuesday as one of just three players remaining in contention for the Lou Groza National Place-Kicker Award by the Palm Beach County Sports Commission.
Pizano (piz-AH-no) is a Super Senior who joined the Rebels after transferring from FCS program Missouri State. The native of Lehi, Utah, has shattered the UNLV record book this fall, setting new marks for field goals in a game (six) and a season (23), kicking points in both a game (19) and a season (119) while also breaking the UNLV record for consecutive field goals made with 19.
He currently sits 23-of-25 in field-goal attempts (with a long of 52) and 50-for-50 in extra points. Pizano has hit two game-winning field goals this season (vs. Vanderbilt and Colorado State) and earned Mountain West Special Teams Player of the Week three times.
Semifinalists were voted on by a panel of more than 100 FBS head coaches, SIDs, media members,
former Groza finalists and current NFL kickers to select the three finalists, who will honored at the 32nd annual Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Awards Banquet on Monday in Palm Beach County, Florida. The same panel will select the winner, who will be announced live on ESPN during the Home Depot College Football Awards on December 8. The other finalists are Graham Nicholson of Miami (Ohio) University and Will Reichard of Alabama.
Fan votes will count toward naming the winner of the Lou Groza Award. The finalist who receives the greatest total of fan votes earns one vote on the final ballot. Fans may visit Lou Groza Award Voting to vote once daily before it closes at on Saturday.
The award is named for NFL Hall of Fame kicker Lou “The Toe” Groza, who played 21 seasons with the Cleveland Browns. Since the first Lou Groza Award was handed out in 1992, 30 finalists, including 17 winners, have gone on to appear in the NFL, earning 13 trips to the Pro Bowl and taking home 7 Super Bowls. That list includes 2023 NFL kickers Randy Bullock, Daniel Carlson Jake Elliott, Ka’imi Fairbairn, Graham Gano, Matt Gay, Dustin Hopkins, Younghoe Koo, Jake Moody and Cairo Santos.
Pizano will make his final home appearance on Saturday as UNLV hosts Boise State in the Mountain West Football Championship starting at noon. Tickets, which start as low as $20, including fees, are available now by visiting unlvtickets.com.
