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The University of Utah Athletics
Gay, Wishnowsky Named Finalists for Ray Guy and Lou Groza Awards
11/20/2017 3:29 PM | Football
SALT LAKE CITY – Utah will be represented by two national award finalists at the Home Depot College Football Awards on Dec. 7 in Atlanta. Punter Mitch Wishnowsky, winner of the 2016 Ray Guy Award, is a repeat finalist, while first-year Ute kicker Matt Gay is one of three finalists for the Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award. The winners will be announced live on ESPN from the College Football Hall of Fame.
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Wishnowsky is bidding to keep the Ray Guy Award trophy in Utah for a fourth-straight year. Tom Hackett won it in 2014 and 2015, followed by Wishnowsky's selection last year. Gay is Utah's second Lou Groza Award finalist, joining Louie Sakoda (2008).
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Utah has never had two players invited to the Home Depot College Football Awards, although Sakoda was a finalist for two awards (Ray Guy and Lou Groza) in 2008. In 2004, Alex Smith and then Ute head Coach Urban Meyer attended the show. Smith was a Heisman Trophy finalist and Meyer was named the National Coach of the Year. Utah's other attendee was 2002 Outland Trophy finalist Jordan Gross.
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Wishnowsky joins Michael Dickson (Texas) and J.K. Scott (Alabama) as finalists for the 2017 Ray Guy Award, while Gay is paired against Daniel Carlson (Auburn) and Dominic Eberle (Utah State) for the Lou Groza Award.
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Wishnowsky, a 2016 unanimous consensus All-American, was named a 2017 Midseason All-American by Athlon and the All-American. He ranks second in the nation in net punting (43.21) and leads the Pac-12 and ranks 10th in the nation in punt average (45.0). Wishnowsky ranks second in the nation in percentage of punts inside the 10-yard line (23.81%, 10-of-42 punts). He has had 16 of his punts downed inside the 20-yard line (38.1%, 16-of-42). He has 11 punts of 50+ yards with a long of 60.
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Gay leads the nation in most major categories, ranking No. 1 in field goals made (25), field goals made per game (2.27), 50+ yard field goals (5) and field goals attempted (29). He was named a Midseason All-American by the Associated Press, ESPN, Sporting News and Athlon. Gay's 86.2% field goal percentage (25-of-29) leads the Pac-12 and ranks 11th in the nation. He is tied for the Pac-12 lead in scoring with 9.8 points per game, which is tied for 12th nationally among all positions and fifth among kickers. The first Utah kicker to make five 50+ field goals in a season, Gay is 5-of-6 from 50+ yards, 3-of-5 between 40-49 yards and 17-of-18 inside the 40. He has two field goals this year of 56 yards, tied for the second-longest in the nation this season. A transfer in his first season at Utah, Gay played soccer at Utah Valley in 2014 and 2016. His only previous football experience came as a high school senior at Utah's Orem High in 2011.
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Wishnowsky is bidding to keep the Ray Guy Award trophy in Utah for a fourth-straight year. Tom Hackett won it in 2014 and 2015, followed by Wishnowsky's selection last year. Gay is Utah's second Lou Groza Award finalist, joining Louie Sakoda (2008).
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Utah has never had two players invited to the Home Depot College Football Awards, although Sakoda was a finalist for two awards (Ray Guy and Lou Groza) in 2008. In 2004, Alex Smith and then Ute head Coach Urban Meyer attended the show. Smith was a Heisman Trophy finalist and Meyer was named the National Coach of the Year. Utah's other attendee was 2002 Outland Trophy finalist Jordan Gross.
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Wishnowsky joins Michael Dickson (Texas) and J.K. Scott (Alabama) as finalists for the 2017 Ray Guy Award, while Gay is paired against Daniel Carlson (Auburn) and Dominic Eberle (Utah State) for the Lou Groza Award.
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Wishnowsky, a 2016 unanimous consensus All-American, was named a 2017 Midseason All-American by Athlon and the All-American. He ranks second in the nation in net punting (43.21) and leads the Pac-12 and ranks 10th in the nation in punt average (45.0). Wishnowsky ranks second in the nation in percentage of punts inside the 10-yard line (23.81%, 10-of-42 punts). He has had 16 of his punts downed inside the 20-yard line (38.1%, 16-of-42). He has 11 punts of 50+ yards with a long of 60.
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Gay leads the nation in most major categories, ranking No. 1 in field goals made (25), field goals made per game (2.27), 50+ yard field goals (5) and field goals attempted (29). He was named a Midseason All-American by the Associated Press, ESPN, Sporting News and Athlon. Gay's 86.2% field goal percentage (25-of-29) leads the Pac-12 and ranks 11th in the nation. He is tied for the Pac-12 lead in scoring with 9.8 points per game, which is tied for 12th nationally among all positions and fifth among kickers. The first Utah kicker to make five 50+ field goals in a season, Gay is 5-of-6 from 50+ yards, 3-of-5 between 40-49 yards and 17-of-18 inside the 40. He has two field goals this year of 56 yards, tied for the second-longest in the nation this season. A transfer in his first season at Utah, Gay played soccer at Utah Valley in 2014 and 2016. His only previous football experience came as a high school senior at Utah's Orem High in 2011.
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Players Mentioned
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