BRISTOL, Conn. -- San Diego State football's Matt Araiza (San Diego/Rancho Bernardo HS) has been named the recipient of the Ray Guy Award, which was announced Thursday night on ESPN during the broadcast of the 31st annual The Home Depot College Football Awards. The award is given annually to the nation's best collegiate punter.
Araiza is the first Aztec in program history to win a major postseason award, beating out other finalists Adam Korsak of Rutgers and Jordan Stout of Penn State.
Araiza became the third Group of 5 punter to win the Ray Guy Award, which started in 2000, joining Tom Hornsey of Memphis in 2013 and Ryan Allen of Louisiana Tech in 2011 and 2012.
Araiza, who has been named a first-team All-American by The Athletic, ESPN, CBS Sports and Bleacher Report, has punted 76 times for 3,904 yards, ranking first in FBS history in punt average (51.4 avg.), 60-yard punts (18) and 50-yard punts (39). Out of Araiza's 76 punts, 36 have landed inside the 20-yard line as Araiza has posted a 44.3 net punt average. One of four players in the nation who is handling all three kicking duties (punts, PATs/field goals and kickoffs), Araiza has added 17 field goals, including three 50-plus yarders, and has kicked off 67 times (excluding onside kicks) for a 65.06 average with 56 going for a touchback.
Araiza leads all FBS players in punt average (51.37), total punt yards (3,904) and punt yards per game (300.31), and is tied for first in PAT percentage (100.00), tied for second in punts inside the 20-yard line (36) and total punts (76), third in kickoff average (65.06), tied for fifth in punts per game (5.85), sixth in net punt average (44.28), tied for sixth in field goal attempts (28), eighth in kickoff touchback percentage (83.58), and tied for eighth in kickoff touchbacks (56) and field goal attempts per game (2.08).
Araiza has six punts of at least 70 yards, the most in the country (five are tied for second with two 70-yard punts), including the longest (86 yards), fifth-longest (81, tied), ninth longest (79), 12th longest (77, tied), 17th longest (75, tied) and 28th longest (72, tied).
The Ray Guy Award winner, named for College and Pro Football Hall of Famer Ray Guy, is selected by a voting body of Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) sports information directors, national media and former Ray Guy Award winners. Punters are evaluated on their overall statistics and contribution to the team. Particular emphasis is placed on the following statistics: net average, percentage of total punts inside the 20-yard line and percentage of punts not returned.
Araiza will be honored at a Ray Guy Award banquet in Augusta, Ga., on Wednesday, Feb. 2.
Araiza has also been named The Action Network's Special Teams Player of the Year, and a first-team All-America selection by The Action Network and Sports Info Solutions (SIS), while also being selected as the Mountain West Special Teams Player of the Year, a first-team all-league punter and a second-team kicker.
San Diego State (11-2), which has tied a school record with 11 victories this season and was 24th in the final College Football Playoff Rankings, plays No. 24 (AP) UTSA (12-1) in the Tropical Smoothie Cafe Frisco Bowl on Tuesday, Dec. 21 in Frisco, Texas.