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University of Oklahoma Athletics
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Sandell Named Semifinalist for Groza Award
November 18, 2025 | Football
NORMAN — University of Oklahoma redshirt junior kicker Tate Sandell was named as one of 20 semifinalists for the 2025 Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award presented by the Orange Bowl, the Palm Beach County Sports Commission announced Tuesday.
Sandell is assembling the best placekicking season in school history, making 21 of 22 field goal attempts (95.5%) and all 28 of his PAT tries. He has made each of his last 21 field goal attempts, good for the longest streak in program history (the former record was 18) and the second-longest in SEC history (longest in single-season annals). He has made a school-single-season-record seven FGs of 50-plus yards (is 7 for 7), the most nationally this season (no other kicker has more than four).
The Port Neches, Texas, product is one of just two kickers nationally since at least 1995 to make at least seven field goals of 50-plus yards without a miss. He has made a school-career-record four field goals of 55-plus yards and is one of two FBS kickers in at least the last 30 years with four makes of 55-plus yards in a season (the only one to do it in a five-game stretch). He is 9 for 9 on field goal tries of 45-plus yards.
Sandell has made a nation-leading and OU-single-season-record 14 field goals of 40-plus yards (the previous record was nine). He tied a school-single-game record at Tennessee with his four field goals (55, 51, 40, 55 yards) and tied the Neyland Stadium record for longest field goal (55 yards; twice). He is the first FBS kicker since 2021 to make three 50-plus-yard field goals in a game (tied the FBS record) and the first FBS kicker since 2011 to make two 55-plus-yard field goals in a road game.
Sandell also leads the country with his average-make distance of 41.8 yards (min. 18 conversions). The next highest average nationally is 38.2 yards.
In his first year at Oklahoma after transferring from UTSA this summer, Sandell has scored 91 of the team's 283 points (32%) this season. He has made at least one field goal in each of the last nine games and has made at least three field goals in each of four contests. He was responsible for 26 of OU's 56 points (46%) in November road wins over Tennessee and Alabama.
The finalists for the Lou Groza Award will be announced on Nov. 25 and honored at the 34th annual Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Awards Banquet on Dec. 8. The winner will be announced live on ESPN at the Home Depot College Football Awards Show on Friday, Dec. 12.
No. 8/8 Oklahoma (8-2, 4-2 SEC) plays host to No. 23/21 Missouri (7-3, 3-3 SEC) Saturday at Gaylord Family – Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. Kickoff is set for 11 a.m. CT on ABC.
Sandell is assembling the best placekicking season in school history, making 21 of 22 field goal attempts (95.5%) and all 28 of his PAT tries. He has made each of his last 21 field goal attempts, good for the longest streak in program history (the former record was 18) and the second-longest in SEC history (longest in single-season annals). He has made a school-single-season-record seven FGs of 50-plus yards (is 7 for 7), the most nationally this season (no other kicker has more than four).
The Port Neches, Texas, product is one of just two kickers nationally since at least 1995 to make at least seven field goals of 50-plus yards without a miss. He has made a school-career-record four field goals of 55-plus yards and is one of two FBS kickers in at least the last 30 years with four makes of 55-plus yards in a season (the only one to do it in a five-game stretch). He is 9 for 9 on field goal tries of 45-plus yards.
Sandell has made a nation-leading and OU-single-season-record 14 field goals of 40-plus yards (the previous record was nine). He tied a school-single-game record at Tennessee with his four field goals (55, 51, 40, 55 yards) and tied the Neyland Stadium record for longest field goal (55 yards; twice). He is the first FBS kicker since 2021 to make three 50-plus-yard field goals in a game (tied the FBS record) and the first FBS kicker since 2011 to make two 55-plus-yard field goals in a road game.
Sandell also leads the country with his average-make distance of 41.8 yards (min. 18 conversions). The next highest average nationally is 38.2 yards.
In his first year at Oklahoma after transferring from UTSA this summer, Sandell has scored 91 of the team's 283 points (32%) this season. He has made at least one field goal in each of the last nine games and has made at least three field goals in each of four contests. He was responsible for 26 of OU's 56 points (46%) in November road wins over Tennessee and Alabama.
The finalists for the Lou Groza Award will be announced on Nov. 25 and honored at the 34th annual Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Awards Banquet on Dec. 8. The winner will be announced live on ESPN at the Home Depot College Football Awards Show on Friday, Dec. 12.
No. 8/8 Oklahoma (8-2, 4-2 SEC) plays host to No. 23/21 Missouri (7-3, 3-3 SEC) Saturday at Gaylord Family – Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. Kickoff is set for 11 a.m. CT on ABC.
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