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The University of Utah Athletics
Matt Gay is First-Team AP, FWAA All-American
12/11/2017 2:14 PM | Football
Mitch Wishnowsky also earns AP, FWAA All-America honors
SALT LAKE CITY--Utah junior kicker Matt Gay was named a first-team All-American by the Associated Press and the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) today. Joining Gay on both All-America teams was Utah junior punter Mitch Wishnowsky, who made the FWAA second team and was a third-team AP All-American.
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Three of the teams used by the NCAA to determine the season's consensus All-Americans have now been announced—Walter Camp, AP and FWAA—and Gay and Wishnowsky have been named to all three. Sporting News, the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) and the consensus teams will be released this week as well.
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Gay, who won the Lou Groza Award as the nation's best place-kicker, leads the nation in most major kicking categories, including field goals made (27), field goals made per game (2.25), 50+ yard field goals (5, tie) and field goals attempted (31). He has made 87-percent of his field goal attempts, which leads the Pac-12 and ranks 11th in the nation. Gay ranks ninth across all positions and third among kickers in scoring, averaging 9.8 points per game. He is 5-of-6 from 50+ yards, 4-of-6 between 40-49 yards and 18-of-19 inside the 40. His two 56-yard field goals are tied for the second-longest in the nation this season.
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Gay's 27 field goals and 31 attempts are school records, while his 118 points ranks second all-time in a season at Utah. He is the first Utah kicker to make five 50+ field goals in a season.
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Gay played soccer at Utah Valley in 2014 and 2016. His only previous football experience came as a high school senior at Orem High School in 2011.
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Wishnowsky, the 2016 Ray Guy Award winner and a finalist for the award again this season, ranks second in the nation in percentage of punts inside the 10-yard line (21.74%) and sixth in the country in net punting (42.20). He has had 16 punts downed inside the 20-yard line, including 10 inside the 10 and two inside the 5-yard line. He has 11 punts of 50+ yards with a long of 60.
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Utah has had 19 players make the AP All-America teams, including seven first-team selections: defensive lineman Luther Elliss (1994), offensive lineman Jordan Gross (2002), kicker Louie Sakoda (2008), defensive tackle Star Lotulelei (2012), punter Tom Hackett (2014 and 2015), Wishnowsky (2016) and Gay.
Utah has produced 16 FWAA first-team All-Americans, including two kickers—Gay and Sakoda (2008). The FWAA All-America team is the second-longest continuously-published team in major college football. The FWAA began publishing a second team in 2013 and Wishnowsky becomes Utah's second second-team selection along with Hunter Dimick (2016).
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2017 All-America Honors
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Matt Gay
Associated Press (1st team)
FWAA (1st team)
Walter Camp (2nd team)
Sports Illustrated (1st team)
SB Nation (1st team)
Bleacher Report (1st team)
College Football News (1st team)
The All-American (2nd team)
Sports on Earth (2nd team)
Pro Football Focus (2nd team)
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Mitch Wishnowsky
Walter Camp (2nd team)
FWAA (2nd team)
Associated Press (3rd team)
Sports on Earth (2nd team)
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Three of the teams used by the NCAA to determine the season's consensus All-Americans have now been announced—Walter Camp, AP and FWAA—and Gay and Wishnowsky have been named to all three. Sporting News, the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) and the consensus teams will be released this week as well.
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Gay, who won the Lou Groza Award as the nation's best place-kicker, leads the nation in most major kicking categories, including field goals made (27), field goals made per game (2.25), 50+ yard field goals (5, tie) and field goals attempted (31). He has made 87-percent of his field goal attempts, which leads the Pac-12 and ranks 11th in the nation. Gay ranks ninth across all positions and third among kickers in scoring, averaging 9.8 points per game. He is 5-of-6 from 50+ yards, 4-of-6 between 40-49 yards and 18-of-19 inside the 40. His two 56-yard field goals are tied for the second-longest in the nation this season.
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Gay's 27 field goals and 31 attempts are school records, while his 118 points ranks second all-time in a season at Utah. He is the first Utah kicker to make five 50+ field goals in a season.
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Gay played soccer at Utah Valley in 2014 and 2016. His only previous football experience came as a high school senior at Orem High School in 2011.
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Wishnowsky, the 2016 Ray Guy Award winner and a finalist for the award again this season, ranks second in the nation in percentage of punts inside the 10-yard line (21.74%) and sixth in the country in net punting (42.20). He has had 16 punts downed inside the 20-yard line, including 10 inside the 10 and two inside the 5-yard line. He has 11 punts of 50+ yards with a long of 60.
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Utah has had 19 players make the AP All-America teams, including seven first-team selections: defensive lineman Luther Elliss (1994), offensive lineman Jordan Gross (2002), kicker Louie Sakoda (2008), defensive tackle Star Lotulelei (2012), punter Tom Hackett (2014 and 2015), Wishnowsky (2016) and Gay.
Utah has produced 16 FWAA first-team All-Americans, including two kickers—Gay and Sakoda (2008). The FWAA All-America team is the second-longest continuously-published team in major college football. The FWAA began publishing a second team in 2013 and Wishnowsky becomes Utah's second second-team selection along with Hunter Dimick (2016).
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2017 All-America Honors
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Matt Gay
Associated Press (1st team)
FWAA (1st team)
Walter Camp (2nd team)
Sports Illustrated (1st team)
SB Nation (1st team)
Bleacher Report (1st team)
College Football News (1st team)
The All-American (2nd team)
Sports on Earth (2nd team)
Pro Football Focus (2nd team)
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Mitch Wishnowsky
Walter Camp (2nd team)
FWAA (2nd team)
Associated Press (3rd team)
Sports on Earth (2nd team)
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