OU kicker Tate Sandell named finalist for Lou Groza Award
NORMAN — It was only a matter of time before Tate Sandell saw national recognition.
The Oklahoma kicker was named as one of three finalists for the Lou Groza Award on Tuesday. The annual award is given to the top place kicker in the country. Sandell is joined by Georgia Tech’s Aidan Birr and Hawaii’s Kansei Matsuzawa.
Sandell was an easy choice to be a finalist after being one of Oklahoma’s most important players through 11 games. Sandell has made all 30 of his extra point attempts and 22 of his 23 field-goal attempts, his lone miss coming on his first kick of the season in Week 2 against Michigan.
Since then, Sandell has been on a tear — he’s made 22 consecutive kicks, the longest streak in program history.
“It’s been a huge part of our success this year,” OU coach Brent Venables told OUInsider Tuesday. “Proud of him, how he’s handled his success. He’s the same guy every day, really really high standards. He’s actually a great leader. Not just showing up every day and working, but he’s got a big voice. Players really like the things he has to stay. He’ll stand up and not flinch in front of them.
“As I’ve told you guys before, he looks at himself, as a little guy, but he doesn’t see himself as just a little guy. He’s got a lot of courage and toughness to him that resonates with rest of the team.”
The raw stats don’t do justice to how impactful Sandell has been. He’s made all seven of his field goals from beyond 50 yards, the most by an OU kicker in a single season. He leads the country in both makes and attempts from that distance — no other kicker has made more than four.
Of his 22 makes, 15 have come from beyond 40 yards, which is again a program record and leads the country. He was crucial in the Sooners’ win at Tennessee, making four field goals (55, 55, 51 and 40 yards) while tying the record for the longest made field goal at Neyland Stadium. He followed that up with two field goals in the 23-21 win over Alabama, including another kick beyond 50 yards.
Sandell’s average field-goal distance is 42.0 yards, the longest in the country. He’s one of only five kickers to make at least 22 field goals. Matsuzawa leads the country with 23 makes.
The Sooners, notably, have never had a kicker win the Lou Groza Award.
This year, fans can take part in naming the winner of the Lou Groza Award by casting a vote for their favorite of the three finalists by visiting www.lougrozaaward.com. The finalist who receives the most fan votes will be given one vote on the final ballot.
The winner will be announced live on ESPN at the Home Depot College Football Awards on Dec. 12.
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