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Tuesday, March 19
The Indiana Daily Student

sports football

Bolser, Ewald, Matte named to award preseason watch lists

Football vs. Towson

IU football players Ted Bolser, Mitch Ewald and Will Matte were named to award preseason watch lists Tuesday and Wednesday, tagging them as candidates of being recognized as the most outstanding collegiate player at their respective positions come the end of the season.

Here is a breakdown of each player and the watch list they were named to:

Ted Bolser, junior tight end
Bolser has been named to the 2012 John Mackey Award Preseason Watch List for the second straight season, the Nassau County Sports Commission announced Tuesday morning.

The award is given annually to the most outstanding collegiate tight end and is determined by vote of the John Mackey Award Selection Committee.

In 2011, Bolser’s production in the passing game dropped off from his freshman season despite appearing in all 12 games. He caught 14 passes for 165 yards with one touchdown.

As a freshman in 2010, Bolser caught 27 passes for 407 yards with five touchdowns while averaging 15.1 yards per catch. His five touchdowns set the single-season record for IU tight ends and ranked first nationally among freshman tight ends.

Bolser also set the IU freshman tight end records for catches and yards in a single season.

For that performance, Bolser earned honorable mention All-Big Ten honors and was named to the Football Writers Association of America and Rivals.com Freshman All-American teams.

The 2012 John Mackey winner will be presented live at 6:30 p.m. Dec. 6 on ESPNU as part of The Home Depot College Football Awards Red Carpet Show.

This year’s award semifinalists will be announced Nov. 12 and finalists Nov. 19. All future announcements can be found at www.johnmackeyaward.org.

Will Matte, fifth-year senior center
Matte has been named to the Rimington Trophy Fall Watch List, the Rimington Trophy Committee announced Tuesday morning.

The Rimington Trophy is awarded annually to the most outstanding center in NCAA Division I football.

Matte started the first 32 games of his career at center before suffering an injury in week eight at Wisconsin last season. Overall, he made nine starts and appeared in 10 games in 2011.

Matte helped the Hoosiers rush for 1,374 yards in Big Ten Play in 2011, the team’s highest total since 2001. A seven-time game captain, Matte was also named to the Rimington Trophy Spring Watch List.

The winner will be announced at the Rimington Trophy presentation banquet on Jan. 12, 2013, at the Rococo Theatre in Lincoln, Neb.   

Mitch Ewald, junior kicker
For the second straight season, Ewald was named to the 2012 Lou Groza College Place-Kicker Award Watch List, the Palm Beach County Sports Commission announced Wednesday morning.

Indiana’s all-time career field goal percentage leader, Ewald has made 29 field goals in 35 attempts (82.9 percent) and is 63-of-63 on extra points. His field goal percentage is also seventh among active kickers.

Ewald’s percentage in Big Ten games is even more impressive. In 16 career conference games, Ewald is 20-of-23 (87 percent) on field goals and has made all 35 extra points.

A native of Naperville, Ill., Ewald’s 29 career field goals rank seventh in IU history.
Ewald joins 29 other kickers on the watch list, which will be trimmed to 20 semifinalists on Nov. 5.

From there, a panel of more than 300 experts will select three finalists by Nov. 19.

As with the John Mackey Award, the winner of the Lou Groza award will be announced Dec. 6 during The Home Depot College Football Awards Red Carpet Show on ESPNU.

The 21st Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award will be presented to the best kicker in NCCAA Division I college football. For more information on the award, visit www.lougrozaaward.com.

— Joe Popely

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