Pitt Panthers kicker Ben Sauls sets school record

PITTSBURGH – Pitt Panthers redshirt senior place kicker Ben Sauls continued his incredible 2024 season by setting another school record.

Sauls hit a 49-yard field goal in the first quarter against Syracuse to give Pitt a 10-0 lead, making him 11 of 11 this season. This was his 13th consecutive field goal of 2023, setting a new school record for most consecutive field goals. This surpassed the previous record of 12 set by both Chris Ferenick in 1995 and Conor Lee in 2007.

He also made a 58-yard field goal against Cal in the Week 7 game on October 12 at Acrisure Stadium, which matched former Pitt kicker Alex Kessman’s 58-yard throw that he converted against Boston College in 2020. equalized and sent the game into overtime. It is also the longest field goal at Acrisure Stadium in Pitt history, as Chris Boswell of the Pittsburgh Steelers made one there from 59 yards.

Sauls has yet to miss a kick for Pitt this season, as he has converted on all 30 of his extra point attempts, making this his best season to date.

His best game of the season came in Week 2 on the road against Cincinnati in the River City Rivalry, for which he earned ACC Specialist of the Week and Lou Groza Star of the Week honors.

Sauls finished the day 3-for-3 on field goals, including its only points in the second half from 47 yards and a career-high 53 yards at the end of the first half. Growing up 65 miles north of Cincinnati, he also scored the winning field goal from 35 yards in front of his friends and family.

He had a solid 2022 season, his first year as a place-kicker, as he made 20 of his 24 kicks for 53 yards. Sauls struggled in his redshirt junior season, making 11 of his 16 field goals of 47 yards.

Sauls had some great moments and is best known for his heroics against UCLA in the 2022 Sun Bowl. Against the Bruins, Sauls scored 5 of 5 points in the wind from El Paso, Texas. He made shots of 22, 49, 31, 27 and 47 yards against UCLA. With time running out, Sauls made the 47-yard field goal to seal the Sun Bowl victory for the Panthers.

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