By TOM ZEBOLD
USF Senior Writer
TAMPA - Maikon Bonani has gained a ton of recognition for his record-setting night against Syracuse.
Bonani has been named Big East Special Teams Player of the Week, a Lou Groza Award "Star of the Week" and College Football Performance's national kicker of the week after setting a new USF single-game scoring record with 18 points Saturday against the Orange.
The senior was 5-for-5 in field goal attempts, connecting from 35, 32, 46, 41 and 47 yards out. Bonani's five field goals were the second-most by an NCAA kicker this season entering the week.
"He was awesome tonight," head coach Skip Holtz said in his postgame press conference.
Bonani, a senior, gained national attention before the season when he was named to the Lou Groza College Place-Kicker Award Watch List for the second straight year after already owning the USF record for field goals made.
"I couldn't be more excited about Bonani and his development," Holtz said.
Bonani wound up making Phil Steele's Midseason All-Big East Third Team after becoming USF's all-time scoring leader. He's gone 11-for-13 (86 percent) in field goal attempts through the first eight games of the season and has been very good from long range, making six of his seven attempts from 40 to 49 yards.
Watch Bonani in action 7 p.m. Saturday when the Bulls host UConn at Raymond James Stadium in a game that will be televised on ESPNU.
