University of Â鶹´«Ã½ at ²Ñ¨¡²Ô´Ç²¹ placekicker Kansei Matsuzawa was named a finalist for the Lou Groza Award, an honor presented to the nation’s top collegiate placekicker. Matsuzawa was one of three finalists selected by a national panel of college football experts assembled by the Palm Beach County Sports Commission.
Matsuzawa is UH ²Ñ¨¡²Ô´Ç²¹¡¯s first finalist since Jason Elam in 1992.
Nicknamed the “Tokyo Toe,” Matsuzawa leads the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) with 23 made field goals and ranks No. 7 in total points scored (103). He set the UH ²Ñ¨¡²Ô´Ç²¹ single-season record with a perfect 23¨Cof¨C23 in field goal attempts, and his streak of 24 consecutive made field goals dating back to last season is the longest active streak in FBS.
Matsuzawa is one of three kickers who are perfect on the season and the only one with more than 15 attempts. He is 9¨Cfor¨C9 in kicks of 40+ yards, which is tied for seventh-most in FBS. The ¡®Bows kicker also has five games with 3+ field goals, one shy of the FBS single-season record.
The senior began the season by kicking the game-winner against Stanford. He has at least one field goal in all 11 games this season and kicked a career-long 52 yard field goal against Fresno State.
Matsuzawa was named to seven different Midseason All-America teams and is a four-time Mountain West Special Teams Player of the Week.
A panel of more than 100 FBS head coaches, sports information directors, media members, former Groza finalists and current NFL kickers will vote for the winner, which will be announced during the Home Depot College Football Awards Show on December 12.
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