AUBURN—Auburn senior punter Damon Duval and senior center Ben Nowland were each named to college football award watch lists on Tuesday.  Duval was one of 34 college football punters named to the Ray Guy Award watch list, presented to the nation’s top punter, while Nowland was named to the Rimington Trophy watch list, given annually to country’s best college center.

A preseason All-American by Playboy Magazine and a second-team All-American by The Sporting News, Duval was a Walter Camp and American Football Coaches’ Association All-American place kicker in 2001.  As a junior, Duval hit 16-of-26 field goals including three game winning kicks in consecutive weeks.

The Ray Guy Award will be presented to the nation’s best collegiate punter as determined by a national selection committee made up of sports writers, college football coaches and sports information directors, former punters and members designated by the Greater Augusta Sports Council.

The national selection committee will choose the ten semi-finalists who will be announced in late October and will then vote for the three finalists who will be announced in late November. On
December 12, 2002 the three finalists will travel to Orlando, Florida for the Home Depot College Football Awards Show, with the winner being announced and presented with the award live on ESPN.

Rated one of the top 12 centers in the nation by The Sporting News, Nowland is a member of the Rimington Watch List for the second consecutive season.  A two-year starter for Auburn, Nowland has started 21 games in his career and is one of two returning starters from last year’s offensive line.  A native of Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., Nowland has graded out at over 90 percent in 14 of 21 starts in the last two years.

The Rimington Trophy, named after former Nebraska center Dave Rimington was established in 2000.  Co-sponsored by Black and Decker and Cannon, USA, the 2002 award will be presented December 14 in Lincoln, Neb.  Proceeds from the Rimington Trophy presentation will benefit the
Boomer Esiason Foundation and its fight against cystic fibrosis.

Auburn opens the 2002 season on Monday, September 2, at Southern California. Televised nationally by ABC, the game will kickoff at 7 p.m. CT.