Cooper Rothe has been named a semifinalist for the Lou Groza Colligate Place-Kicker Award that is presented by the Orange Bowl as announced by the Palm Beach County Sports Commission on Nov. 1, 2018. This award is given out annually to the best place-kicker in division 1 Football Bowl Subdivision college football.
Rothe is 15-16 when kicking field goals this year and is still a perfect 19-19 when kicking extra points. He is one of the 20 semifinalists named to this award and the three finalists will be announced on Nov. 20, 2018.
“I think it is pretty cool being named a semifinalist,” said Rothe. “It is a credit to my snapper, holder, and the offense for getting me into position and trusting me in every situation they put me in. Without them, I would not be able to do what I do.”
With Wyoming’s offense showing a lot of inconsistency this year Rothe was their most consistent weapon, as he did not miss a field goal until this past weekend against San Jose State. Prior to that Rothe was a perfect 14-14 in field goals. Rothe would make his first kick against San Jose State but would miss his second attempt from 43 yards.
“We also knew the second field goal was a long one into the wind. We knew it was going to be a risky shot. We felt like he would have enough leg to get it there and it missed just to the right,” said Wyoming Head Coach Craig Bohl. “His points have added up and he has been consistent. He has owned his work, he spends a great deal of time watching himself on video. He has also done a great job on kickoffs. His first one against San Jose was into the wind and he still put it out of the back of the end zone.”
Prior to missing his kick Rothe made 18 in a row, the best streak in the nation for FBS kickers. This streak began in last year’s Potato Bowl. Despite his miss, Rothe is still third in the nation in kicking percentage with 93.8 percent, according to ESPN.com. Rothe has the best kicking percentage of the 20 semifinalists.
“I just try to keep everything simple as possible, just put it through the uprights,” said Rothe. “Nick (Sporz) does a good job holding and Jesse (Hooper) does a good job snapping. I trust them and knowing the ball will be there helps me a lot.”
Rothe said the relationship between himself, Sporz and Hooper is a huge part of the job and makes kicking the ball easier. Sporz has learned the angle Rothe likes to have the ball with a slight tilt back, allowing for Rothe to have a more comfortable kick.
While Rothe missed during this past game with weather playing a factor, he has proven before that he can make kicks in any conditions. The most unique conditions Rothe remembers was during last year’s border war when he made all three of his field goals in snowy weather.
Last week was one of the more severe conditions Rothe has experienced, playing in a combination of wind, snow, rain and light hail. Rothe spends time outside during the week before games to help get used to weather conditions. The hardest thing to prepare for according to Rothe is wind because you have to adjust your aim whereas in snow he only has to make sure he has solid footing and not readjust his aim.
Rothe has played in 37 games for Wyoming and has been their main kicker since his freshman year. In his career Rothe is 43-54 in field goals and 119-120 in extra points. Rothe was a perfect 64-64 his freshman year in extra points. Rothe has remained consistent in his extra points and each year his field goal percentage has gone up from 65 percent his freshman year to 83.33 percent last year, and 93.8 currently this year.
“I think I have progressed a lot. Just knowing how much to kick balls and just not to wear out your leg if you do something wrong and instead look at the film to figure it out,” said Rothe. “It is more of a mental game kicking wise then physical. You can only do so much before you wear out your leg. I think I learn a lot from that for freshman year.”
If Rothe is named as one of the three finalists later this month he will attend the awards banquet in Palms Beach County, Florida on Dec. 3 along with the other two finalists.
