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Football: Baer Named Semi-Finalist For The Groza AwardBaer Named Semi-Finalist For The Groza Award LAFAYETTE, La. — Louisiana senior kicker Brett Baer has been selected as one of 20 semi-finalists for the 2012 Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award, which is presented by the Orange Bowl Committee. The semi-finalists were announced on Monday. “The Groza Award is about kicking excellence and considering all that he has accomplished on the field, Brett is truly deserving of this honor,” UL head coach Mark Hudspeth said. “He came into the year totally committed to having a great final year and his performance on the field has been spectacular.” A native of Brandon, Miss., Baer has started his senior season out on the right foot, connecting on 13 of his 16 field goal attempts and 31-of-33 extra points to lead the Sun Belt in scoring with 60 points. He currently ranks fifth in UL history with 213 career points. Baer is quickly moving towards being the most accurate kicker in NCAA FBS history. In three seasons as Louisiana’s regular kicker, he has made 38-of-43 field goal attempts (.884), which is ahead of the NCAA field goal accuracy mark of .878 by Florida State’s Bobby Raymond (43-49 in 1983-84). Baer will need to attempt two more field goals this year to meet the NCAA minimum of 45 career attempts. Baer made all seven attempts in 2010 and was 18-for-20 last year to lead the country in field goal percentage (.900). He is 13-for-16 this year to lead the nation in field goals. Baer, who converted his last 11 field goal attempts in 2011, made his first seven attempts of the year to extend his streak to 18. He broke the Sun Belt record of 17 consecutive field goals made by UL-Monroe’s Cole Wilson (2006-07) and besting Mike Shafer’s UL school record of 14 consecutive field goals made, which was set in 1994. Baer opened the year with a bang, setting a career high for field goals made in a game against Lamar, finishing one field goal short of the UL school record of five shared by Rafael Septien (vs. San Jose State in 1974) and Mike Lemoine (vs. CMU in 1989). His 16 points in the Lamar game tied the school mark for points in a game by a kicker. Three finalists will be determined in balloting of FBS head coaches and sports information and announced on Nov. 19. The finalists will be honored at the 21st annual Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Awards Banquet on December 4th in West Palm Beach, Fla. The winner will be announced live on the Home Depot ESPN College Football Awards Show on Thursday, December 6th. Brian McCann
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