College Football: Tipp grad honored for game-winning kick

Pittsburgh placekicker Ben Sauls (90) boots the winning field goal during the second half of the Sun Bowl NCAA college football game against UCLA, Friday, Dec. 30, 2022 in El Paso, Texas. (AP Photo/Andres Leighton)

Credit: Andres Leighton

Credit: Andres Leighton

Pittsburgh placekicker Ben Sauls (90) boots the winning field goal during the second half of the Sun Bowl NCAA college football game against UCLA, Friday, Dec. 30, 2022 in El Paso, Texas. (AP Photo/Andres Leighton)
Sports
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Updated Sept 11, 2024
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Ben Sauls was named one of the Lou Groza Awards “Stars of the Week” for booting a game-winning field goal for Pittsburgh at Cincinnati.

The Tippecanoe High School graduate connected from 35 yards with 17 seconds left to lift the Panthers to a 28-27 come-from-behind victory.

The 5-foot-10, 185-pound fifth-year senior is in his third year as Pitt’s place-kicker and has made all five of his field goal attempts this season.

For his career, Sauls is 36 for 45 with a long of 53 yards.

He has also served as the Panthers’ kickoff specialist since 2021, averaging 62.9 yards per kick with 152 touchbacks.

ExploreTop 10 performances from Week 3 in local high school football

Sauls was an all-state kicker as a senior in 2019 and also led the Red Devils to the state championship in soccer.

He is just one of several local high school products to get off to a positive start in the FBS this season:

  • Alter grad Connor Bazelak made headlines when he completed 25 of 39 passes for 254 yards with two touchdown passes and two interceptions for Bowling Green as the Falcons gave Penn State a scare before falling 34-27 last Saturday.
  • In the same game, Lakota East grad Avi McGary had three tackles, including one for loss, and Tippecanoe grad Jackson Kleather made two field goals for BG.
  • Hamilton graduate Kaleb Johnson ran 25 times for 187 yards and two touchdowns for Iowa in a 20-19 loss to Iowa State while fellow Big Blue alumnus Malik Verdon made 13 tackles, including one for loss, and broke up a pass for the Cyclones.
  • Lakota West grad Josh Fussell had three tackles and Northmont product Jaiden Cameron had two for Northwestern in a 26-20 loss to Duke
  • Springfield grad Aaron Scott Jr. was credited with a pass break-up for Ohio State in a 56-0 win over Western Michigan. Lakota East grad Austin Siereveld and Lakota West grad Tegra Tshabola started at left and right guard, respectively, for the Buckeyes for the second straight game. Alter grad C.J. Hicks had two tackles for the Buckeyes, and Lakota West grad Malik Hartford had one.
  • Northmont grad Jestin Jacobs had two tackles for Oregon in a 37-34 win over Boise State.
  • Chaminade Julienne grad Shane Cokes had two tackles, including one for loss, for Colorado in a 28-10 loss to Nebraska.
  • In his second season as the starting nickel back, Springfield grad Kenall Dolby had five tackles for Oklahoma. Centerville’s Reggie Powers III also suited up for the Sooners as they beat Houston 16-12.
  • Greenon’s Nathan Hawks kicked off six times and had two touchbacks for Cincinnati in the loss to Pitt while Xenia grad Gavin Gerhardt starts at center for the Bearcats.
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Marcus Hartman has been a digital sports columnist and reporter at Cox's Ohio newspapers the Dayton Daily News, Springfield News-Sun and Journal-News since 2016.