Kicking into a stiff breeze, Palkovic connected on a 33-yard field goal with 9:49 left in the first quarter to give the U.S. an early, but short-lived lead. "I don’t know why, but I wasn’t a bit nervous on that field goal," claimed Palkovic. "I had been kicking well in practice and was pretty focused. Kasey Morgan from Wisconsin-Stevens Point was my holder and did a great job. It felt good to give us the lead."

Mexico responded on their next possession with an 11-play, 84-yard drive that was capped by an 18-yard TD pass to give Mexico their only lead in the game. Team U.S.A. scored early in the second quarter and Palkovic’s PAT regained the U.S.A.’s three-point margin. Palkovic finished with four extra points and one field goal to share the leading scorer honors with Mexico kicker Erick Gomez. He could have won that title outright if not for a 46-yard field goal that sailed wide or an errant PAT.

"We had a cross wind that had started to die down a bit," said Palkovic of the 46-yard attempt. "I adjusted my aim a little bit, but the wind picked back up at the last minute and just pushed it a couple feet wide. The coaches told me it had enough distance and would have been good from 55 to 60 yards. It took a couple of days, but once we got our timing down in practice, we were kicking really well."

A month off did little to hurt Palkovic. His totals for the All-Star game were nearly identical to his season marks with the Fighting Scots. Playing in 75 degree weather, Palkovic actually improved on his season kickoff average (62.4). His seven kickoffs averaged 65.1 yards and three went for touchbacks. "It must have been the adrenaline," stated Palkovic. "I had a two go out of the endzone and one wound up on the track."

Palkovic did see a bit of a drop in punting average. His seven punts in the Aztec Bowl averaged 38.1 yards, just below his 41.9 season average. Three of his seven punts landed inside the opponent’s 20-yard line and his longest traveled 54 yards.

"It was a great experience," reported Palkovic. "It’s the equivalent of our Super Bowl. We were completely surrounded by press during the game. They had a marching band playing the entire time and a lot of off-the-field entertainment. There were a couple of pro scouts there, too."

Founded in 1947, the Aztec Bowl is the annual season-ending game for Mexico’s collegiate season. The game pits a team made of United States Division III all-stars against a select group of players from Mexico who would be considered Division I players in the U.S.

The United States now holds a 10-1 in the Aztec Bowl.