Lou Groza Award goes to UCLA’s Fairborn over Auburn’s Daniel Carlson

Ka’imi Fairbairn of UCLA won the Lou Groza Award for the nation’s best kicker Thursday night, beating out Auburn’s Daniel Carlson.

Fairborn, a senior from Kailua, Hawaii, is the all-time leading scorer in the Pac-12 and, of course, holds the UCLA school record at well. He broke the record Nov. 14 with four field goals at a PAT against Washington State. Fairbairn hit a school-record 60-yard field goal, the longest kick in the FBS since 2012.

Carlson was one of only two kickers in the country to make four field goals of 51 yards or more. He set an Auburn record of most 50-yard-plus field goals in a season, breaking a 45-year-old record.

His career-high 56-yard field goal came in the Chick Fil-A Kickoff season opener against Louisville. He set another school record by recording 14 consecutive field goals,  which included two 52-yard kicks during the streak.

2015 LOU AWARD CANDIDATES

DANIEL CARLSON, AUBURN

2015 stats: 22-for-26 field goals  (84.8 percent); 36-for-36 extra points (100 percent); Made 4 of 5 field goals over 50 yards, including a long of 56 yards. Scored 102 points

JAKE ELLIOT, MEMPHIS

2015 stats:  22-for-26 field goals  (84.8 percent); 62-for-62 extra points (100 percent); Made 9 of 10 field goals over 40 yards, with a long of 52. Scored 128 points

KA’IMI FAIRBAIRN, UCLA

2015 stats: 20-for-23 field goals  (86.9 percent); 44-for-44 extra points (100 percent); Made 2 of 3 field goals over 50 yards, with a long of 60. Scored 104 points

Tom Brew

Tom Brew is an award-winning journalist and author who is covering SEC football for Saturday Down South.