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The University of Utah Athletics
Photo by: ESPN Images
Matt Gay Wins Lou Groza Award
12/7/2017 6:40 PM | Football
Gay, Mitch Wishnowsky named Walter Camp All-Americans
ATLANTA-Utah junior kicker Matt Gay was voted the winner of the Lou Groza Award, which is presented to the nation's top kicker. Gay accepted the award at The Home Depot ESPN College Football Awards show at the College Football Hall of Fame.
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Also during the show, Gay and junior punter Mitch Wishnowsky were announced as Walter Camp All-Americans. Both were named to the second team.
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Gay becomes Utah's first Lou Groza Award winner. He is Utah's second finalist for the award, joining Louie Sakoda (2008).
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Gay 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) 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 new 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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The other finalists for the Lou Groza Award were Daniel Carlson (Auburn) and Dominic Eberle (Utah State).
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Wishnowsky also attended the show as a finalist for the Ray Guy Award. It is the first time that two Utah players were invited to the Home Depot College Football Awards. Michael Dickson (Texas) won the Ray Guy Award over Wishnowsky and J.K. Scott (Alabama), snapping a streak of three-straight Ray Guy Award winners for the Utes. Wishnowsky was last year's recipient while Tom Hackett won it in 2014 and 2015.Â
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Wishnowsky, a 2016 unanimous consensus All-American, ranks second in the nation in percentage of punts inside the 10-yard line (21.74%) and ranks 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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Wishnowsky and Gay bring Utah's number of second-team Walter Camp All-Americans to six, including quarterback Alex Smith (2004), defensive back Eric Weddle (2006), offensive lineman Zane Beadles (2009) and offensive lineman Caleb Schlauderaff (2010). Wishnowsky is just the second Ute to make the Walter Camp All-America team twice in his career, joining punter Tom Hackett, who made the Walter Camp first team in 2014 and 2015.
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The Walter Camp All-America team is one of the five teams used by the NCAA to determine the season's consensus All-Americans. The others are the Sporting News, Associated Press, Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) and American Football Coaches Association (AFCA). The Walter Camp is the nation's oldest All-America team.
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Walter Camp, "The Father of American football," first named an All-America team in 1889. The team is selected by the Football Bowl Subdivision head coaches and sports information directors.
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2017 All-America Honors
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Matt Gay
Walter Camp (2nd team)
SB Nation (1st team)
Sports Illustrated (1st team)
Bleacher Report (1st team)
The All-American (2nd team)
Sports on Earth (2nd team)
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Mitch Wishnowsky
Walter Camp (2nd team)
Sports on Earth (2nd team)
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Also during the show, Gay and junior punter Mitch Wishnowsky were announced as Walter Camp All-Americans. Both were named to the second team.
Â
Gay becomes Utah's first Lou Groza Award winner. He is Utah's second finalist for the award, joining Louie Sakoda (2008).
Â
Gay 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) 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 new 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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The other finalists for the Lou Groza Award were Daniel Carlson (Auburn) and Dominic Eberle (Utah State).
Â
Wishnowsky also attended the show as a finalist for the Ray Guy Award. It is the first time that two Utah players were invited to the Home Depot College Football Awards. Michael Dickson (Texas) won the Ray Guy Award over Wishnowsky and J.K. Scott (Alabama), snapping a streak of three-straight Ray Guy Award winners for the Utes. Wishnowsky was last year's recipient while Tom Hackett won it in 2014 and 2015.Â
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Wishnowsky, a 2016 unanimous consensus All-American, ranks second in the nation in percentage of punts inside the 10-yard line (21.74%) and ranks 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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Wishnowsky and Gay bring Utah's number of second-team Walter Camp All-Americans to six, including quarterback Alex Smith (2004), defensive back Eric Weddle (2006), offensive lineman Zane Beadles (2009) and offensive lineman Caleb Schlauderaff (2010). Wishnowsky is just the second Ute to make the Walter Camp All-America team twice in his career, joining punter Tom Hackett, who made the Walter Camp first team in 2014 and 2015.
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The Walter Camp All-America team is one of the five teams used by the NCAA to determine the season's consensus All-Americans. The others are the Sporting News, Associated Press, Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) and American Football Coaches Association (AFCA). The Walter Camp is the nation's oldest All-America team.
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Walter Camp, "The Father of American football," first named an All-America team in 1889. The team is selected by the Football Bowl Subdivision head coaches and sports information directors.
Â
2017 All-America Honors
Â
Matt Gay
Walter Camp (2nd team)
SB Nation (1st team)
Sports Illustrated (1st team)
Bleacher Report (1st team)
The All-American (2nd team)
Sports on Earth (2nd team)
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Mitch Wishnowsky
Walter Camp (2nd team)
Sports on Earth (2nd team)
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