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DeutschBen Sauls
| Pittsburgh Panthers – No. 90 | |
|---|---|
| Position | Placekicker |
| Class |  |
| Personal information | |
| Born: | July 31, 2001 |
| Height | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) |
| Weight | 185 lb (84 kg) |
| Career history | |
| College |
|
| Bowl games | |
| High school | Tippecanoe (Tipp City, Ohio) |
| Career highlights and awards | |
Ben Sauls (born July 31, 2001)[1] is an American football placekicker for the Pittsburgh Panthers.
Early life and high school
[edit]Sauls attended Tippecanoe High School in Tipp City, Ohio, and originally committed to play college football at Boston College before flipping to Iowa State after Steve Addazio was fired. He then flipped to the Pittsburgh Panthers, where he joined the team on a full scholarship.[2][3]
College career
[edit]In his first two collegiate seasons in 2020 and 2021, Sauls appeared in 15 games where he attempted just five extra points, making three of them.[4] In the 2022 Sun Bowl against UCLA, he converted on all five of his field goal attempts, including a game-winning 47-yarder.[5] In 2022, Sauls made all 47 of his extra point attempts and converted on 20 of 24 field goals.[6] He struggled in 2023, making just 11 of 16 field goals.[7] In week 2 of the 2024 season, Sauls hit the game-winning 35-yard field goal to beat Cincinnati.[8] In week 6, he tied the Pittsburgh record converting on a 58 yard field goal in a win over California.[9] For his performance during the 2024 season, Sauls earned third-team all-ACC[citation needed] and first-team all-American honors and was named a Lou Groza Award semifinalist.[10] He also accepted an invite to play in the 2025 East-West Shrine Bowl.[11]
References
[edit]- ^ @bsauls22 (July 31, 2021). "Thank you coach! H2p 🐾" (Tweet). Retrieved January 10, 2025 – via Twitter.
- ^ Dipaola, Jerry (November 8, 2022). "Ben Sauls finds success as Pitt's kicker after realizing 'it's you against you'". TribLive.com. Retrieved December 15, 2024.
- ^ Peak, Chris (February 5, 2020). "Sauls gives Pitt a future at kicker". Rivals.com. Retrieved December 15, 2024.
- ^ "Ben Sauls". Sports Reference. Retrieved December 15, 2024.
- ^ Erfort, John. "Ben Sauls's fifth field goal, a 47-yarder with four seconds on the clock, sends Pitt past UCLA". The Boston Globe. Retrieved December 15, 2024.
- ^ Dipaola, Jerry (March 25, 2023). "Belief led kicker Ben Sauls to become one of the most reliable players on Pitt's roster". TribLive.com. Retrieved December 15, 2024.
- ^ Campbell, Dominic (October 25, 2024). "Pitt Panthers Kicker Ben Sauls Sets School Record". Pittsburgh Panthers on SI. SI.com. Retrieved December 15, 2024.
- ^ Dipaola, Jerry (September 7, 2024). "Pitt notebook: Road victory held hometown feel for Ben Sauls, Rasheem Biles". TribLive.com. Retrieved December 15, 2024.
- ^ Dipaola, Jerry (October 25, 2024). "Focused on the hold, his left toe, the football, Pitt's Ben Sauls gets kick from perfection". TribLive.com. Retrieved December 15, 2024.
- ^ Dipaola, Jerry (December 10, 2024). "Pitt kicker Ben Sauls named to PFF All-America team". TribLive.com. Retrieved December 15, 2024.
- ^ Campbell, Dominic (December 6, 2024). "Pitt Kicker Accepts East-West Shrine Bowl Invite". Pittsburgh Panthers on SI. SI.com. Retrieved December 15, 2024.