Bettridge, Sparks Claim Specialist Preseason Honors

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Virginia kicker Will Bettridge and punter Daniel Sparks have been named preseason watchlist selections for the Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker and Ray Guy Awards, respectively, which honor college football’s top kicker and punter, it was announced Friday (Aug. 2). 

Bettridge, who was also named to Allstate Wuerffel Trophy Watch List yesterday, the premier award for community service among Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) college football players, finished the 2023 season 18-for-21 on field goal attempts and 31-for-31 on PAT attempts. Entering his third season at UVA, Bettridge is one of only five returning FBS kickers that achieved an 85.7 field goal percentage on at least 21 attempts. In UVA’s five games decided by three points or less last year, he was perfect on both field goals and extra points, including a 4-for-4 performance against Miami and a 3-for-3 showing in the Cavaliers’ triumph over Duke. 

Accomplishments are tabulated throughout the season and the Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award will announce its 20 semifinalists on Tuesday, Nov.19. From this list, a panel of FBS head coaches, SIDs, media members, former Groza finalists, and current NFL kickers selects the top-3 finalists for the award, which will be announced on Tuesday, Nov. 26. That same group then selects the national winner, who will be announced on Thursday, Dec.12 on ESPN’s live presentation of the Home Depot College Football Awards. 

This year marks the third consecutive in which Sparks has nabbed preseason recognition for the Ray Guy Award by the Augusta Sports Council. Voted one of five team captains at the end of last year, Sparks averaged nearly 43 yards per punt in 2023 and finished tied for 11th among all FBS punters in total attempts (64). In the Cavaliers’ win at North Carolina last season, Sparks averaged 50.2 yards on five punts. He also recorded a career-long 70-yard punt at Boston College. 

The 2024 Ray Guy Award watchlist was compiled based on the 2023 semifinalist list, the top-10 punters in the NCAA from last season, 2023 all-conference teams, 2023 All-American Teams, 2024 preseason all-conference teams and eligible punters on the 2023 watchlist. 

The number of eligible candidates for this season will grow when the award opens nominations on Aug. 3. The complete list of candidates will be released on Nov. 6. In mid-November, the Ray Guy Award committee meets to select the ten semifinalists, who will be announced on Nov. 15. A national body of FBS sports information directors, media representatives, and previous Ray Guy Award winners will then vote for the top-3 finalists, who will be announced on Nov. 26. After the finalists are named, the voting body will cast ballots again to select the nation’s top punter. Like the Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award, the Ray Guy Award winner will be announced during ESPN’s broadcast of the Home Depot College Football Awards on Dec. 12. 

More on the Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award
The 33rd Annual Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award, presented by the Orange Bowl, recognizes the three finalists during a celebration in Palm Beach County, culminating with a gala awards banquet on December 9th in West Palm Beach, Florida. 

The Award is named for National Football League Hall of Fame kicker Lou “The Toe” Groza, who played 21 seasons with the Cleveland Browns. Groza won four NFL championships with Cleveland and was named NFL Player of the Year in 1954. Although an All-Pro offensive lineman as well, Groza ushered in the notion that there should be a place on an NFL roster for a kicker. 

More on the Ray Guy Award
The Augusta Sports Council created the Ray Guy Award in 2000 to honor Thomson, Georgia native and College and Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee, Ray Guy. Among the statistics used to identify the winner are net punting average, number of times punt is downed or kicked out of bounds inside the opponents 20-yard line, total yardage punted, average returned yardage and percentage of punts not returned with particular emphasis placed on net punting average. The winner must display team leadership, self-discipline, and have a positive impact on the team’s success.