WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - The Lou Groza Award unveiled its 2024 preseason watch list on Friday morning, which saw Bulldog kicker Dylan Lynch as one of 30 kickers from around the country recognized. The Lou Groza Award is recognized annually as the nation's top collegiate place-kicker award, presented by the Palm Beach County Sports Commission.
Lynch is one of 10 returning FBS kickers who made more than 20 field goals last season. A 2023 semifinalist of the award, Lynch is one of four kickers from the Mountain West on the preseason list.
In 2023, Lynch was 24-of-30 in his field goal attempts for an 80 percent mark on the season. He went 40-of-40 on PATs.
The leg of Lynch was responsible for 112 points in 2023, the third-most in a season by a kicker in program history. His 24 field goals made are the fourth-most in a season in Mountain West history, and the second-most in Fresno State history.
He finished the year with a streak of five field goals made, but his longest streak throughout the 2023 season was eight consecutive made field goals over five games (Oct. 7-Nov. 11).
Lynch saw a career-long 52-yard field goal in the season opener at Purdue (Sept. 2), becoming the first Bulldog kicker to send one through from 50 yards out since 2017. Lynch hit his second from 50 yards out with a 50-yarder at Arizona State (Sept. 16) to become the first Bulldog kicker with multiple 50-yarders in a season since 2010.
Lynch tied the program record for the most field goals made in a game with five at Arizona State, it was the second-most made in a game in MW history. He had a program-record seven field goal attempts against the Sun Devils.
In his Bulldog career, Lynch is 30-of-37 in his field goal attempts. His 81.1 percent on field goals in his career is a program record. He is one of just two Bulldog kickers to have above an 80 percent average in their career, joining Quentin Breshears from 2012 (12-of-15). The 30 made field goals are the sixth-most in a career for a Bulldog.
Lynch is a perfect 55-of-55 in his PAT attempts with 15 as a true freshman and 40 a season ago. He is the only Bulldog in the program's history to be 100 percent in their PAT attempts (by players with more than one attempt).
The Bakersfield native is the first Bulldog kicker to be named to the preseason watch list for the Lou Groza Award since Kody Kroening in 2017. The preseason watch list addition is the third preseason recognition for the junior kicker this season, having been named to the preseason All-MW second team by both Phil Steele and Athlon Sports.
The FWAA preseason award watch lists will be announced over a 12-day period which began on Monday, July 29. More information available here.