Coutu wants to show which PK is best

ATHENS – Fans at Saturday’s 12:30 p.m. game against Colorado may just see the two best place-kickers in the country, Georgia coach Mark Richt said.

Georgia’s Brandon Coutu and the Buffaloes’ Mason Crosby both are on the watch list for Lou Groza Award, which goes to the nation’s best kicker. Crosby, who regularly makes kicks from 75 yards in practice, was a finalist for the award last year.

“Him and Coutu are probably on the same level as far as ability and accuracy,” Richt said.

Coutu has had a better season, though. He’s 11-for-11 on extra points and 7-for-7 on field goals, while Crosby is 2-for-2 on extra points and 3-for-6 on field goals. Two of his misses came from more than 60 yards and the other was from more than 50. (Crosby isn’t merely a product of altitude. He hit a 58-yarder at Miami.)

“I’m really competitive, and I try to do better than everybody I compete against,” Coutu said, “so it definitely gets me excited.”

Punter Gordon Ely-Kelso taped a picture of Crosby in Coutu’s locker at the start of the week for extra motivation.

“We have razzed him a little bit,” Ely-Kelso said.