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The University of Utah Athletics
Utes Named to Preseason Watch Lists
8/27/2008 12:00 AM | Football
Aug. 27, 2008
SALT LAKE CITY - The Utah football team has placed three more players on preseason watch lists, bringing its total award nominees to five. Louie Sakoda, named to the watch list for the Lou Groza College Place-Kicker Award, was previously one of five players placed on the Ray Guy watch list for the nation's top punter. Other new listings were offensive linemen Zane Beadles and Robert Conley, who were both cited on the watch list for the Rotary Lombardi Award, which honors the top lineman in the Football Bowl Subdivision.
Sakoda, a two-time MWC Special Teams Player of the Year and Ray Guy finalist, won first-team All-America honors as both a punter (FWAA, CBSSports) and kicker (Rivals.com) as a junior last year. He ranks first among active dual punter/kickers in career punts and punt yards, and second in career yards per punt (42.10). A 2007 Lou Groza semi-finalist, Sakoda's19 field goals a year ago set a new single-season record at Utah, when he made 86.4% of his tries (19-of-22). The Lou Groza watch list will be narrowed down to 20 semi-finalists on Tuesday, Nov. 11.
Conley, a senior, was named to the preseason all-conference team after earning second-team honors last season. He is in his fourth year as the starter at right guard, playing in 38 games and starting 31 in his career. He led the Utes in pancake blocks (40) and cuts (28) in 2007 while participating in 852 regular season plays.
Beadles, a junior tackle who was a second-team all-MWC selection as a sophomore, is preparing to start for the third-straight year. He played guard as a freshman before moving to left tackle last fall. Beadles tallied 22 pancake blocks, 37 knockdowns and 17 cuts in 856 regular season plays last year.
First-round voting for the Rotary Lombardi Award begins in late September, and the list will be narrowed down to 12 semi-finalists.
Other Utes who have been named to watch lists include Brian Johnson (Golden Arm Award - quarterback) and Stevenson Sylvester (Butkus Award - linebacker).
Players Mentioned
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