WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – University of Hawai'i's placekicker Kansei Matsuzawa is one of three finalists for the Lou Groza Award as selected by a national panel of college football experts assembled by the Palm Beach County Sports Commission.
 
The other two finalists are Georgia Tech's Aidan Birr and Oklahoma's Tate Sandell. The award is presented to the nation's top collegiate placekicker and the winner will be selected during the Home Depot College Football Awards Show, December 12.
 
A panel of more than 100 FBS head coaches, Sports Information Directors, media members, former Groza finalists, and current NFL kickers selected the three finalists and will vote for the winner. Matsuzawa is UH's first finalist for the award since Jason Elam in 1992.
 
Nicknamed the "Tokyo Toe," the Japan native leads FBS with 23 made field goals and ranks No. 7 in total points scored (103). He is a perfect 23-of-23 in field goal attempts and his streak of 24 consecutive made field goals dating back to last season is the longest active streak in FBS.
 
Matsuzawa is one of three kickers who are perfect on the season and only one with 15+ attempts. He is 9-for-9 in kicks of 40+ yards, which is tied for seventh-most in FBS and has five games with 3+ field goals, one shy of the FBS single-season record.
 
The senior began the season by kicking the game-winner against Stanford as time expired. He has at least one field goal in all 11 games this season and kicked a career-long 52-yarder against Fresno State. His 23 field goals this season is a new UH single-season record while his streak of 24 straight field goals made is also a new school mark.
 
Matsuzawa was named to seven different Midseason All-America teams and is a four-time Mountain West Special Teams Player of the Week.