UCF’s Moffitt On Lou Groza Award Watch List
By Space Coast Daily // July 14, 2014
ABOVE VIDEO: Revisit the 2013 UCF Football Season and the dramatic 52-42 Tostito’s Fiesta Bowl victory over Baylor. This video was originally showed to the team and fans at the Jan. 8th celebration pep rally at the CFE Arena on the UCF Campus.
Following a memorable season in 2013, UCF senior Shawn Moffitt secured a spot on the Lou Groza Award Watch List for 2014, the Palm Beach County Sports Commission announced Wednesday.
The Lou Groza Award honors the top placekicker in the nation, and will announce its semifinalists Nov. 6 with three finalists being named Nov. 24.
The winner will be announced Dec. 11 during the Home Depot College Football Awards.
It is named after NFL Hall of Famer Lou Groza who played 21 seasons as a kicker and offensive lineman with the Cleveland Browns, winning four NFL championships in the process and was named NFL Player of the Year in 1954.
Moffitt was one of just 30 players on the watch list, and he was a semifinalist for the award a year ago.
UCF on Preseason Watch Lists
• Clayton Geathers – CFPA Defensive Backs Trophy Watch List
• Joey Grant – Rimington Trophy Spring and Fall Watch Lists (most outstanding center)
• Rannell Hall – Paul Hornung Award Watch List (most versatile player)
• Shawn Moffitt – Lou Groza Award Watch List (best placekicker)
• Breshad Perriman – CFPA Wide Receivers Watch List
• Terrance Plummer – Bednarik Award Watch List (defensive player of the year) and CFPA Linebackers Watch List
• William Stanback – CFPA Running Backs Watch List
An SI.com Honorable Mention All-American in 2013, Moffitt also was on the All-American Athletic Conference Second Team his junior campaign. He paced UCF with 112 points, setting a single-season record with 21 field-goals made. He accomplished that feat in just 23 attempts, giving him the school record with a 91.3 field-goal percentage as well.
A graduate of Orlando’s Dr. Phillips High School, Moffitt converted his first-career game-winner at Temple, and put the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl out of reach with his 36-yard field goal in the fourth quarter as UCF topped Baylor, 52-42. In extra points, he was a perfect 49-for-49.
His efforts were huge throughout the season as he made at least one field goal in all 13 games with UCF winning seven contests by a touchdown or less. It was the first time UCF had a field goal in every game of a season. Overall, the Knights have converted a field goal in 14 straight contests, marking a school record, and all of which have been made by Moffitt.
Since appearing in six games as a freshman in 2011, Moffitt has converted 78.3 percent of his field goals in his career, increasing his percentage each season along the way.
