ST. LOUIS - Senior placekicker Zach Kutch set a new school and Missouri Valley Football Conference record with his career performance in Illinois State 25-7 home win over Western Illinois Saturday. For his effort, Kutch was named the MVFC Special Teams Player of the Week by the league office Sunday.
The award is the first for Kutch in his career at Illinois State and the fifth for an Illinois State player this season. Sophomore running back Cliffton Gordon (Sept. 20), senior wide receiver Eyad Salem (Oct. 4), senior punter Kevin Mazur (Oct. 4) and sophomore offensive lineman Nick Bledsoe (Nov. 2) were also honored by the conference for their efforts this season.
Kutch set a school and Missouri Valley Football Conference record with six field goals made in the Redbirds' Family Day win over the Leathernecks. The Milton, Fla., native broke the school record (4) and conference record (5) with those six field goals, which included a career-long 48-yarder in the second quarter.
Three of Kutch's field goals were 40 yards or longer (48, 40, 45) and four out of the six were made in the third quarter. Kutch's only blemish on the day was a 42-yarder that was blocked in the second quarter, as he finished 6-for-7 overall in the contest. His effort helped Redbirds snap a two-game losing streak to the Leathernecks and earn their first home win against WIU since 1999.
On the season, Kutch is 16-for-22 (72.7%) in field goal attempts with seven coming from 40 yards or longer. He also leads the Redbirds in scoring with 71 points (16 FG, 23 PAT), including a perfect 23-for-23 mark on extra point attempts.
Kutch and the Redbirds return to action Saturday when they hit the road for the final time this season to face Youngstown State. Kickoff is set for noon CST at Stambaugh Stadium in Youngstown, Ohio.
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