Nov. 4, 2003
LAS VEGAS - UNLV senior Dillon Pieffer is one of 20 semifinalists for the 2003 Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award, the Palm Beach County Sports Commission announced.
Pieffer, a native of Colorado Springs, leads the Mountain West Conference in scoring by a kicker with 66 points and stands 51st among all players in the nation with 7.3 points per game. Pieffer is 15-19 in field goals this fall, which is the most for a UNLV booter since Nick Garritano's school-record 21 in 1994. Last week, Pieffer took over as the Rebels' all-time leader with 106 extra points, including 21-22 in 2003.
A two-time MWC Special Teams Player of the Week this season, Pieffer's career-long 50-yard field goal last Saturday at New Mexico was the ninth-longest in school history. In a victory over Hawaii earlier this season he tied two school records by making four field goals in one game and scoring 15 points overall.
Three finalists will be announced Nov. 17 and the Groza, which is presented by the FedEx Orange Bowl, will be handed out during a ceremony on Dec. 9 in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. Voters for the award include Division I-A head coaches, sportswriters and sportscasters, conference representatives, professional kickers and previous Groza Award finalists.
The award, now in its 12th year, is named for NFL Hall of Fame kicker Lou "The Toe" Groza, who played 21 seasons with the Cleveland Browns, winning four NFL championships with the Browns and being named NFL Player of the Year in 1954.
2003 GROZA AWARD SEMIFINALISTS
NAME, SCHOOL, CLASS
Steve Azar, Northern Illinois, Sr.Xavier Beitia, Florida State, Jr.Nick Browne, TCU, Sr.Trey DiCarlo, Oklahoma, So.Drew Dunning, Washington State, Sr.Connor Hughes, Virginia, So.Ben Jones, Purdue, So.Nate Kaeding, Iowa, Sr.Ryan Killeen, Southern Cal, Jr.Matt Leach, Florida, Jr.J.C. Mejia, San Diego State, Sr.Jonanthan Nichols, Mississippi, Jr.Nick Novak, Maryland, Jr.Matt Payne, BYU, Jr.Jon Peattie, Miami (Fla.), Fr.Dillon Pieffer, UNLV, Sr.David Rayner, Michigan State, Jr.Nate Smith, Louisville, Sr.Andrew Wellock, Eastern Michigan, Fr.Kirk Yliniemi, Oregon State, Sr.
