St. Paul grad Perkins in Big 12 title game

AMES, Iowa — One local graduate and standout is a win away from the inaugural College Football Playoff field. Tyler Perkins, a 2022 St. Paul graduate, is the junior starting punter for the No. 16-ranked Iowa State Cyclones. Iowa State held off No. 24 Kansas State, 29-21, Saturday night at Jack Trice Stadium in Ames. With the win, Iowa State not only secured their first 10-win season in program history, but the Cyclones (10-2, 7-2) also earned their spot in the Big 12 conference championship game. Iowa State will face No. 12-ranked Arizona State (10-2, 7-2) at 12 p.m. Saturday (Dec.7) at AT&T Stadium — home of the Dallas Cowboys — in Arlington, Tex. The winner of the game will earn one of the five automatic berths in the first-ever 12-team playoff field. The game marks the first Big 12 title game appearance for either program. Iowa State advanced to the game for the first time in program history, and this season marks the first year the Sun Devils are in the conference after decades in the former Pac-12. In the historic win over Kanas State, Perkins was called on three times. His punts traveled 129 yards for an average of 43 yards per punt, with a long of 54 yards. For the season, Perkins has punted 32 times for 1,425 yards, good for an average of 44.5 yards per punt. His season-long is 57 yards. His average ranks fourth in the Big 12 through the end of the regular season. Perkins is also fourth in 50-plus yard punts among league leaders. Smith wraps season with Zips AKRON — In his first season kicking for the University of Akron, 2021 Norwalk graduate Garrison Smith also put together another solid season. Smith, a redshirt junior, finished 13-of-16 on field goal attempts, where he was 7-of-8 on attempts inside of 39 yards and 6-of-8 on field goals from 40-to-49 yards. In 12 games, Smith finished eighth in the Mid-American Conference in made field goals, percentage (81.3) and longest made (49). His long of 49 yards was in the Aug. 31 season opener at Ohio State, where he spent a preferred walk-on season in 2021. Smith was also 24-of-24 on extra points this season and scored 63 total points, which ranked 15th overall in the MAC ins coring. Akron went from 2-10 in 2023 to 4-8 this season. In two seasons at McNeese, Smith was 18-of-21 on field goals and a perfect 48-of-48 on extra points for a total of 102 points. In 2022, he was first team All-Southland Conference, and was named to the Hero Sports Freshman All-America team. Smith has one more season of eligibility remaining at Akron in 2025.