July 9, 2014
West Palm Beach, Fla.----- For the second consecutive year, Austin Lopezof the San Jose State University football team is listed in the Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award preseason Watch List.
Heading into his junior season, Lopez is one of the top placekickers in college football. In his first two seasons with the Spartans, the junior-to-be from Euless, Texas converted 39-of-44 field goal tries including a single-season school record 22 in 2013. Lopez is 13-of-15 from 40 or more yards and is one of only two San Jose State kickers with two field goals of 50 or more yards in a career.
His 210 points scored ranks fifth on the San Jose State career scoring list and are 28 shy of matching career leader Jared Strubeck's 238.
Lopez is one of 30 NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) kickers listed on the Watch List. Players were named based on their 2013 statistics. Twenty semifinalists will be named on Thursday, November 6. Three finalists will be selected on November 24. The winner will be announced Thursday, November 11 during the Home Depot College Football Awards broadcast.
The award is named for Pro Football Hall of Fame kicker Lou "The Toe" Groza, who played 21 seasons with the Cleveland Browns in the 1940's into the 1960's.
Season tickets including the $299 special of four reserved seat tickets and four Bill Walsh bobblehead collectibles for the Spartans' five games in Spartan Stadium are available and are on sale. Call 408-924-SJTX or visit www.sjsuspartans.com or click here to order your tickets.