Indiana University Athletics
Starr Selected Lou Groza Star of the Week
10/8/2007 12:00:00 AM | Football
Oct. 8, 2007
BLOOMINGOTN, Ind. - Junior place-kicker Austin Starr was highlighted as one of this week's Lou Groza Award Stars of the Week, the Palm Beach County Sports Commission announced Monday afternoon. Starr, who matched a school record with four field goals against Minnesota, became the first Indiana place-kicker to earn Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week laurels since the league began honoring specialists in 1994.
Against the Golden Gophers, Starr hit a 47-yard field goal in the second quarter - the second longest of the junior's career - that put the Hoosiers in front for good. He added a 33-yarder, a 25-yarder and a 43-yarder to improve to 12-for-13 on the season and 6-for-6 from 40-plus yards in his tenure at IU. Starr has now made nine straight field goals, which is the second longest streak in Indiana history.
Starr is tied for fourth nationally, averaging two field goals per contest, and is 13th in the nation in scoring (10.3). He also leads the Big Ten in field goals per contest and field goal percentage (92.3) and is third in scoring.
The junior's 12 field goals matches his total from last season, which is good for a share of eighth place on the school's single-season list. Starr is five off the school's single-season record of 17, held by former NFL great Pete Stoyanovich (1988).
The 2007 winner of the Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award is presented by the FedEx Orange Bowl and will be announced on Thursday, Dec. 6, 2007 during the ESPN Home Depot College Football Award Show in Orlando. The top-three finalists for the Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award will be honored during the Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award Banquet and Silent Auction on Tuesday, Dec. 4, 2007 at the Palm Beach Gardens Marriott. This is an event of the Palm Beach County Sports Institute.
All Division I-A kickers are eligible for the Award named for NFL Hall of Fame Kicker Lou "The Toe" Groza. Voters for the award include Division I-A head coaches, sports writers and sportscasters, conference representatives, professional kickers, and previous Groza Award finalists.
The Lou Groza Award is presented by the FedEx Orange Bowl and is also sponsored by The Breakers, Continental Airlines, Discretion Entertainment LLC, Enterprise rent-a-car, ESPN Radio 760, ESPN Regional Television, Florida Coca-Cola Bottling, Hartless Foundation, JBS Destination Solutions, Palm Beach Kennel Club, The Palm Beach Post, Parallax Productions, Romano Law Group, Rooney's Public House, World Class Transportation Inc.
For more information regarding the Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award, please contact Graham Morris at the Palm Beach County Sports Institute at (561) 233-3124 or gmorris@palmbeachsports.com.
