NORFOLK, Va. — Norfolk State kicker Marco Peery has been named a Fred Mitchell Award Kicker of the Week after making all five of his field goal attempts, including a career-long 48-yarder, in the Spartans' 42-21 win over Hampton on Saturday in the 61st Battle of the Bay.
Peery, a junir from Norfolk, Va., was one of three kickers honored for Week 3, along with Nebraska-Kearney's Kaden Kiernan and Dartmouth's Owen Zalc. He was also named honorable mention for the Stats Perform FCS National Special Teams Player of the Week award.
The Fred Mitchell Award is presented each year to the nation's top collegiate place-kicker. More than 750 programs across FCS, Division II, Division III, NAIA and NJCAA football are eligible, and winners are judged on performance on the field as well as character and community service off it.
Peery made field goals from 21, 48, 26, 46 and 27 yards, setting Norfolk State single-game records for field goals made, both individually and as a team. The previous individual record was four, by Justin Castellat against Virginia State on Sept. 1, 2007.
His 48-yarder broke the career long of 40 he set a week earlier at Virginia, where that kick produced Norfolk State's only points. The 48 also ties for ninth on the program's list of longest field goals, matching Everett Goldberg at Old Dominion on Nov. 26, 2011. It came after an interception gave the Spartans the ball at the Hampton 26 and the offense lost four yards on its next four plays.
Peery's 26-yarder came as the first-half clock expired. It capped a 12-play, 77-yard drive in 1:40 and sent Norfolk State into halftime with a 22-14 lead.
Peery finished with 18 of the Spartans' 42 points on five field goals and three extra points.
Up Next
The Spartans hit the road for another two-game swing, first facing first-year program Chicago State at SeatGeek Stadium in Chicago, Ill., Saturday, Sept. 26 at 7:00 p.m. ET, before traveling to Pittsburgh to face Robert Morris on Oct. 3.
