Completed Event: Football at Temple on September 13, 2025 , Win , 42, to, 3
Final
Football
42
at Temple
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University of Oklahoma Athletics
Photo by: Brendall Vargas/University of Oklahoma
Sandell Named Lou Groza Award Finalist
November 25, 2025 | Football
NORMAN — University of Oklahoma redshirt junior kicker Tate Sandell was named as one of three finalists for the 34th Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award presented by the Orange Bowl, the Palm Beach County Sports Commission announced Tuesday.
Sandell is joined on the list of finalists by Georgia Tech's Aidan Birr and Hawaii's Kansei Matsuzawa.
Sandell is assembling the best placekicking season in school history, making 22 of 23 field goal attempts (95.7%) and all 30 of his PAT tries. He has made each of his last 22 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, with no other kicker making 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 10 for 10 on field goal tries of 45-plus yards.
Sandell has made a nation-leading and OU-single-season-record 15 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 42.0 yards (min. 18 conversions). The next highest average nationally is 38.7 yards.
In his first year at Oklahoma after transferring from UTSA this summer, Sandell has scored 96 of the team's 300 points (32%) this season. He has made at least one field goal in each of the last 10 games and has made at least three field goals in four of the last five contests. He was responsible for 26 of OU's 56 points (46%) in November road wins over Tennessee and Alabama.
This year, fans can take part in naming the winner of the Lou Groza Award by casting a vote for their favorite of the three finalists by visiting www.lougrozaaward.com. The finalist who receives the most fan votes will be given one vote on the final ballot.
The finalists were selected by a panel of more than 100 FBS head coaches, SIDs, media members, former Groza finalists and current NFL kickers. The finalists will be honored at the 34th annual Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Awards Banquet on Deb. 8 in Palm Beach County, Fla. The same voting panel then selects the winner, who will be announced live on ESPN at the Home Depot College Football Awards on Friday, Dec. 12.
Oklahoma has never produced a Groza Award winner.
The No. 8/8 Sooners (9-2, 5-2 SEC) close the regular season against LSU (7-4, 3-4 SEC) Saturday at Gaylord Family – Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. Kickoff is set for 2:30 p.m. CT on ABC.
Sandell is joined on the list of finalists by Georgia Tech's Aidan Birr and Hawaii's Kansei Matsuzawa.
Sandell is assembling the best placekicking season in school history, making 22 of 23 field goal attempts (95.7%) and all 30 of his PAT tries. He has made each of his last 22 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, with no other kicker making 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 10 for 10 on field goal tries of 45-plus yards.
Sandell has made a nation-leading and OU-single-season-record 15 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 42.0 yards (min. 18 conversions). The next highest average nationally is 38.7 yards.
In his first year at Oklahoma after transferring from UTSA this summer, Sandell has scored 96 of the team's 300 points (32%) this season. He has made at least one field goal in each of the last 10 games and has made at least three field goals in four of the last five contests. He was responsible for 26 of OU's 56 points (46%) in November road wins over Tennessee and Alabama.
This year, fans can take part in naming the winner of the Lou Groza Award by casting a vote for their favorite of the three finalists by visiting www.lougrozaaward.com. The finalist who receives the most fan votes will be given one vote on the final ballot.
The finalists were selected by a panel of more than 100 FBS head coaches, SIDs, media members, former Groza finalists and current NFL kickers. The finalists will be honored at the 34th annual Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Awards Banquet on Deb. 8 in Palm Beach County, Fla. The same voting panel then selects the winner, who will be announced live on ESPN at the Home Depot College Football Awards on Friday, Dec. 12.
Oklahoma has never produced a Groza Award winner.
The No. 8/8 Sooners (9-2, 5-2 SEC) close the regular season against LSU (7-4, 3-4 SEC) Saturday at Gaylord Family – Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. Kickoff is set for 2:30 p.m. CT on ABC.
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