NEW ORLEANS – The Sun Belt Conference has three preseason candidates for the 2019 Lou Groza Award — presented annually to the nation's most outstanding kicker - as announced by the Palm Beach County Sports Commission on Wednesday.
Coastal Carolina's Massimo Biscardi, Georgia Southern's Tyler Bass and Troy's Tyler Sumpter were among the 30 candidates listed.
A 2018 Lou Groza Award semifinalist, Biscardi was named to both the 2019 Phil Steele and the 2019 Athlon Sports preseason All-Sun Belt third teams after a freshman season in 2018 that saw him earn All-Sun Belt third team accolades. Named the team's Special Teams Player of the Year last season by his fellow teammates and coaches, Biscardi led the team in scoring with 72 points on the season, scoring at least one point in all 12 games in 2018. The true freshman kicker was 13-for-16 on field goals and 33-for-36 on extra points on the year. His 81.3 field goal percentage was a new single-season record, eclipsing Ryan Granger's previous mark of 81 percent set in 2016.
Also a 2018 Groza semifinalist, Bass saved his best performance for last, hitting a 50-yard field goal as the Camellia Bowl went to halftime and then hitting a 40-yard winner as time expired in the Eagles' 23-21 victory. His 19 field goals tied the school record for most in a season, while his 90.5% accuracy rate tied for fourth-best in FBS among qualified kickers.
Sumpter earned All-Sun Belt Second Team honors following last season and in this preseason after connecting on 18-of-24 field goal attempts last season. His 18 makes were the second most in a single-season in Troy history and were the 16th most nationally last year. Sumpter twice tied the Troy single-game record with four field goals against both Louisiana and Texas State and set the Troy Division I record with 10 made fields goals over a three-game stretch. Sumpter was also perfect on all 45 of his extra-point attempts in 2018 and has connected on all 79 in his career.
While the Watch List highlights 30 of the best returning kickers in the country, Andre Szmyt, who as a Syracuse freshman was thus not on last year’s Watch List, stands as proof that the Groza Committee will be watching all FBS kickers throughout 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 7th. 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, announced on Tuesday, November 26th. That same group then selects the national winner, who will be announced on Thursday, December 12th during the Home Depot College Football Awards Show on ESPN.
The 28th Annual Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award, presented by the Orange Bowl, recognizes the three finalists during a celebration in Palm Beach County, culminating with a gala awards banquet at West Palm Beach’s Kravis Center for the Performing Arts on December 9th.