FSU Specialists Alex Mastromanno, Ryan Fitzgerald Named Finalists for National Awards

Florida State is the only school in the country with finalists for both the Lou Groza Award and Ray Guy Award.

Dec 2, 2023; Charlotte, NC, USA; Florida State Seminoles place kicker Ryan Fitzgerald (88) kicks the ball as punter Alex Mastromanno (29) holds during the second quarter against the Louisville Cardinals at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images / Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Florida State redshirt seniors, punter Alex Mastromanno and kicker Ryan Fitzgerald, are finalists for the Ray Guy and Lou Groza Awards, respectively. Winners for both awards will be announced as part of ESPN’s Home Depot College Football Awards on December 12.

Florida State is the only school in the country with finalists for both awards and only the second ACC school with a finalist for both specialist awards in the same season.

Mastromanno, from Melbourne, Australia, is a finalist for the nation’s top punting award for the second consecutive season. Florida State’s career record holder for punts, punting average and total punting yards, Mastromanno leads the country with 49.1 yards per punt and 28 punts of at least 50 yards. He ranks second nationally and is first in the ACC with an average of 45.25 net yards per punt.

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For the year, Mastromanno has punted 50 times, with a long of 65 and 17 punts inside the 20-yard line. Just one of his punts – in the season opener – has resulted in a touchback.

A four-time recipient of the Ray Guy Award’s Ray’s 8 honor, he was named the national punter of the week against Boston College, when he averaged 52.2 yards on six punts against the Eagles.

Mastromanno’s season punting average of 49.1 is currently over one yard better than the ACC record of 48.0, set in 2020. His 28 punts of 50 yards are seven more than the next closest punter. His 65-yard punt is the longest of the three finalists.

Fitzgerald is a finalist for the Lou Groza Award for the first time after being a semifinalist in 2023. Fitzgerald is 12-for-12 on field goals this season, including 5-for-5 from at least 50 yards. Among the three finalists, Fitzgerald is the only player without a miss, his five 50-yarders are three more than the other players and his 59-yard field goal is four yards longer than the next player.

With his field goal against Charleston Southern, Fitzgerald became the second player in FSU history to make his first 12 field goal tries in a season, joining 2013 Groza Award winner Roberto Aguayo, who accomplished the feat in 2013 and 2014.

Fitzgerald’s five 50-yard field goals are the most in a season in school history and he has accounted for the second-, third- and seventh-longest field goals in Florida State history in 2024.

In the season opener against Georgia Tech, Fitzgerald made field goals of 52 and 59 yards in the first half, the second player in program history with multiple 50-yarders in a half. His 59-yard field goal is the second-longest in program history, third-longest in ACC history and the longest ever in a conference game.

Fitzgerald’s 56-yard field goal against the Tar Heels matched Florida State’s longest in the 75-year history of Doak Campbell Stadium.

At Duke, Fitzgerald was 3-for-3 on field goal attempts, including a 53-yarder. His three field goals made tied a career high.

Fitzgerald is also perfect on all 14 of his extra point attempts this year.

Florida State’s four Groza Award winners are the most in the country. Joining Aguayo in 2013 is Graham Gano in 2008 and the only two-time recipient, Sebastian Janikowski in 1998 and 1999.

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