Limpert’s banner year moves him to semifinals for Lou Groza Award

FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas’ Connor Limpert has been named a semifinalist for the Lou Groza Award, which is presented annually to the nation’s top place-kicker.

Limpert, a junior from Allen, Texas, is one of 20 semifinalists for the honor, which will be voted on by a panel of more than 100 FBS head coaches, SIDs, media members, former Groza finalists and current NFL kickers to select the three finalists.

He was also named a nominee for the Burlsworth Trophy in October, given to the most outstanding player who began his career as a walk-on.

This season, Limpert is 16-of-20 in field goal attempts, splitting the uprights at least once in every game in 2018 and each of the last 10 contests.

He owns the longest field goal made among the 20 up for the award with a 55-yard FG coming against Vanderbilt on Oct. 27.

His 55-yarder is the second-longest in the country this season, while his 54-yard conversion vs. North Texas on Sept. 15 is good for No. 5 among longest field goals made in 2018.

Coming into the matchup with the Commodores, Limpert, one of the most accurate kickers in school history, had connected on 10 consecutive field goals over the previous five weeks of competition.

He saw his streak, the third-longest in school history, come to an end on a 60-yard attempt at the end of the first half that fell just a few feet short of what would have been the third-longest FG in school history.

Limpert padded the end of that streak with back-to-back games with four and three field goals made coming on a rainy night in Little Rock against Ole Miss and at home against Tulsa, respectively.

His 4-for-4 night marked the first time a Razorback had accomplished the feat since Alex Tejada against Troy on Sept. 1, 2007.

Saturday’s field goal against Vanderbilt also pushed Limpert into 10th among single season field goals made by an Arkansas kicker, putting him closer to the school record of 24 set by Kendall Trainor in 1988.

The finalists for the Lou Groza Award will be announced on Nov. 20 and honored at the 27th annual Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Awards Banquet on Dec. 3 in Palm Beach County.

The same panel then selects the winner, who will be announced live on ESPN at the Home Depot College Football Awards Show on Thursday, Dec. 6.