SEC report

D-II school getting love from LSU

Cole Tracy, who hit 68 of 84 fieldgoal attempts in three years at Assumption College in Massachusetts, is performing so well for LSU as a graduate transfer that Tigers fans have been sending donations to his former school. The donations started after Tracy hit three field goals in LSU’s 3317 victory over Miami, including a 54-yarder to tie the school record. He hit a 42-yarder on the game’s final play to lift the Tigers to a 2221 victory at Auburn last week.

As good as Alabama has become under Coach Nick Saban, it’s still hard to believe the Crimson Tide are favored by almost four touchdowns against a Texas A&M team that earlier this season lost 2826 to Clemson. Granted, the Aggies have to play at Alabama after taking Clemson to the wire at home, but to be 25½-point underdogs?

Maybe the Aggies will catch the Tide feeling cocky after Alabama’s 62-7 victory at Ole Miss to open SEC play. But don’t bet on it.

Going into this season, Brian Kelly arguably was the most notable former football player for Assumption College, a private Catholic college in Worcester, Mass., that competes on the NCAA Division II level.

Kelly played linebacker at Assumption from 197983, and since 2010 he has become nationally known as the Notre Dame head coach.

Last season, Kelly’s Fighting Irish beat LSU 2117 in the Citrus Bowl, but now he may have to take a back seat to the Tigers’ new kicker when it comes to being the top player ever at Assumption.

Cole Tracy, who hit 68 of 84 field-goal attempts in three years at Assumption, is performing so well for the Tigers as a graduate transfer that LSU fans have been sending donations to his former school.

The donations started after Tracy hit three field goals in LSU’s 33-17 victory over Miami — including a 54-yarder to tie the school record — and increased after he hit a 42-yarder on the game’s final play to lift the Tigers to a 22-21 victory at Auburn last week.

Donations from the LSU fans have been accompanied by a note thanking the school for sending Tracy to Baton Rouge.

“They’re pretty rabid fans,” Tim Stanton, Assumption’s vice president for institutional advancement, told USA

P/G Today. “And generous, too.” By Tuesday night, more than 100 LSU fans had donated about $6,000 to Assumption, according to

USA Today. Some of the donations have been for 68.3 $42 in honor of the distance of Tracy’s game-winner at P/G Auburn.

“We don’t know where this is going to end,” Stanton said. “If this continues and gets to a higher amount, there will probably be some kind of naming opportunity.

“If it really reached some significant levels — this might sound ludicrous, but like $1 million — we’d name the field after him.”

Tracy has hit 8 of 9 field goals this season.

LSU’s two kickers last season — Connor Culp and Jack Gonsoulin — combined to hit 16 of 27 field-goal attempts. Their misses included from 22, 25, 32, 34, 35, 37 and 40 yards.

Against Notre Dame, Culp missed a 22-yarder and Gonsoulin a 37-yarder.

Tracy hit 27 of 29 field goals last season. If he had been kicking for LSU in the Citrus Bowl, the Tigers probably would have beaten Kelly and the Fighting Irish.

AP/BUTCH DILL Cole Tracy, a graduate transfer from Assumption College, has performed so well for LSU that fans have begun sending donations to his former school. Some donations — which totaled nearly $6,000 by Tuesday night — have been for $42 in honor of the distance of Tracy’s game-winning field goal at Auburn last week.