WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (July 22, 2020) – A season after being named a finalist, Washington State kicker Blake Mazza was named to the 2020 Lou Groza Award Watch List, the Palm Beach County Sports Commission announced Wednesday.
 
Mazza is one of 30 players named to the watch list for the award given to the nation's top collegiate placekicker. The redshirt-junior was not on last year's initial watch list but was named a semifinalist and later a finalist, becoming the first kicker in program history to be named a finalist.
 
Mazza, a Preseason Third-Team All-American by Phil Steele, was a 2019 All-Pac-12 Conference First Team selection after going 20-of-21 on field goal attempts, the highest field goal percentage in WSU single-season history. The Plano, Texas native connected on his first 18 field goal attempts, the longest consecutive field goal streak in WSU history and most by a kicker in the country without a miss last season. Mazza led the Pac-12 and was eighth in the country with 115 points, went 55-of-57 in extra points and connected on a pair of 50+ yard kicks.
 
While the Watch List highlights 30 of the best returning kickers in the country, the Groza Committee will be watching all FBS kickers throughout the season, and releasing a weekly "Stars of the Week" feature on www.lougrozaaward.com. All FBS kickers remain eligible to be selected as semifinalists.
 
Accomplishments are tabulated throughout the season and the Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award will announce its 20 semifinalists Nov. 5. From this list, a panel of more than 100 FBS head coaches, SIDs, media members, former Groza finalists, and current NFL kickers selects the top three finalists for the award, announced Nov. 24. That same group then selects the national winner, who will be announced Dec. 10 during the Home Depot College Football Awards Show on ESPN.
 
The 29^th Annual Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award, presented by the Orange Bowl, recognizes the three finalists during a celebration in Palm Beach County, culminating with a gala awards banquet at West Palm Beach's Kravis Center for the Performing Arts Dec. 7. 
 
The Award is named for National Football League Hall of Fame kicker Lou "The Toe" Groza, who played 21 seasons with the Cleveland Browns. Groza won four NFL championships with Cleveland and was named NFL Player of the Year in 1954. Although an All-Pro offensive lineman as well, Groza ushered in the notion that there should be a place on an NFL roster for a kicker.