Cincinnati Football: Ryan Coe appears on Lou Groza award watch list

Cincinnati Bearcats kicker Ryan Coe earned a spot on the preseason Lou Groza award watch list, which is presented to the best place kicker in the country every December. Coe spent two years at Delaware and made 76.5% of his field goal attempts before transferring to Cincinnati during the offseason.

Cincinnati Football: Ryan Coe appears on Lou Groza award watch list

As a freshman with the Blue Hens, Coe converted 12/17 field goals and 24/24 extra points en route to being named to the All-CAA Second Team with a career-best 54-yard field goal in the FCS Playoffs. It was the longest field goal by a kicker in the conference that year but he was just 2/5 from beyond 40 yards.

Coe continued to improve last season, going 14/17 on field goal attempts and 23/23 on extra points to remain perfect after touchdown drives and earn All-CAA honors for a second straight year. As a sophomore, he was 6/8 on 40+ yard field goals including a 53-yarder at Rutgers. From inside 40 yards, Coe went 8/9 on field goals.

In addition to being the starting kicker as a true freshman at Delaware, the Pennsylvania native took over kickoff duties. A year later, he averaged 62.6 yards per kickoff with 30 touchbacks, while making 5/7 field goals and 6/6 extra points in one possession games. Coe was successful on two kicks from 50+ yards out last year.

Other kickers on the Bearcats roster includes sophomore Christian Lowery and junior Bryce Burton. Lowery appeared in five games last season, finishing 2/4 on field goal attempts and 20/20 on extra points. Meanwhile, punter Mason Fletcher is set to return for his sophomore season after averaging 43 yards per punt as a freshman.