Inside The Panthers

Pitt Kicker Plays Hero in Home State

Ben Sauls sealed the Pitt Panthers comeback win over Cincinnati in his home state.

Dominic Campbell

Nov 16, 2023; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers place kicker Ben Sauls (90) kicks off to the Boston College Eagles during the second quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
Nov 16, 2023; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers place kicker Ben Sauls (90) kicks off to the Boston College Eagles during the second quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images / Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

CINCINNATI -- Pitt Panthers redshirt senior place kicker Ben Sauls has had many big moments in his career, but none other than the game against the Cincinnati Bearcats at Nippert Stadium.

Sauls played high school football at Tipp City in Tipp City, Ohio, about 65 miles north of Cincinnati and knew the area well. He had plenty of family and friends in the stands watching him throughout the game, where he put on one of his best performances in a Pitt uniform.

He hit two important field goals in the first half, the only points for Pitt, with the last one a 53-yarder with one second remaining, marking a career-long for him in college.

Sauls made his first extra point late in the fourth quarter, but would have to wait for his chance to come up with a big moment, as the Panthers chose to go for the two-point conversion twice, but missed both times.

The Pitt offense, down 27-25, made some big plays to get into Cincinnati territory, but none bigger than redshirt freshman quarterback completing a 34-yard pass to senior wide receiver Konata Mumpfield to the 22-yard line.

Sauls then had his opportunity, which he took just like his previous two attempts, hitting the winning field goal from 35 yards out to put the Panthers up 28-27.

Following the field goal, Sauls put up the "UC" cheer in front of the Cincinnati student section. Sauls said post game that he wanted to show support for his Pitt teammates, who received some comments from the Cincinnati students and to get the celebrations started with the win coming shortly afterwards.

"It's a combination of great teammates, great coaches, a great plan and I'm blessed to have a great [offensive] line, good snap and hold," Sauls said on his performance. "But Eli knows, he knows. Get the ball across the 50[-yard line] and we're gonna have a dang good shot at hitting some points. So it's a combination of all of that."

Holstein praised Sauls for his performance and that he learned to show more respect to his kicker, who he said will continue to come through in big moments the rest of the season.

"It's unbelievable," Holstein said. "Last week he kind of got on me after he hit that 50-yarder, he got on me for not going up there and telling him, "Thank You." So as soon as he hit a field goal this week, I went up there and I said, "I appreciate that, that's a big deal." Especially that field goal right before half. Just getting that momentum going into the second half. Hitting that game winner. Having a guy is monumental. He's going to win us a lot of games last year."

Sauls also did this in front of his family and friends at Nippert Stadium, who celebrated with him after the game and gave him encouragement the entire way.

"It's fantastic," Sauls said on his winning field goal in Ohio. "I had a lot of family and friends there. My home is 40 minutes up the highway. So to do it here, against Cincinnati, in my home state, in front of my friends and family was unbelievable. And it was funny, they all said before the game, "I think it's going to be a great story today." So turned out it just happened to be me."

Pitt head coach Pat Narduzzi complimented Sauls on his performance and that his work during fall camp gave everyone the confidence he would do it this season.

"The most important one was at the end of the game," Narduzzi said. That's a game winner right there, that's a big time play. We got a lot faith in Ben Sauls. He was over 90% in fall camp. He's money. Points are points, whether in the first half or second half, you take the three when that's what you got and you go with it."

Sauls is 5-for-5 on field goals this season, but only made 11-of-16 last season and wants to greatly improve on that in 2024,

"I've been on a ride with the ups-and-downs throughout my career," Sauls said. "It hasn't always been super smooth, but we've had some highlights and like I said we've had some downs. That provides you the pieces to put the puzzle together and I think today, everyone got to see that the puzzle is put there and it fits all together. We can really, really, really perform when we put it together."

One important part of this season and his great start is new special teams coach Jacob Bronowski, who excelled at Miami (Ohio) before coming to Pitt this offseason. Bronowski has faith that Sauls can excel and that has helped him play great in the first two games of the season.

"He just believes in me, in the fullest" Sauls said on Bronowski. "He truly thinks I'm extraordinary. I think I'm extraordinary, but you don't always get to show that, but he just pushes my confidence, day-in and day-out and we're seeing the results of that."

The preparation for this season for Sauls and his teammates began following a poor 2023 season that saw the Panthers finish 3-9 overall. With two wins already this season, the team and Sauls knows they are ready for anything that comes their way going forward.

"We got a new attitude and a new team and a new staff," Sauls said. "We expect that of ourselves. We had a tough offseason. We worked really, really hard. We prepared for moments like that and to get that opportunity as a team to come out and do that and it shows all the work we put in."

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Dominic Campbell

DOMINIC CAMPBELL

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