| Pittsburgh Panthers–No. 90 | |
|---|---|
| Position | Placekicker |
| Class |  |
| Personal information | |
| Height | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) |
| Weight | 185 lb (84 kg) |
| Career history | |
| College |
|
| High school | Tippecanoe (Tipp City, Ohio) |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Ben Sauls is an American football kicker for the Pittsburgh Panthers.
Sauls attended Tippecanoe High School located in Tipp City, Ohio. Coming out of high school, Sauls decided to commit to play college football for the Pittsburgh Panthers, where he joined the team as a walk-on. [1] [2]
During Sauls's first two collegiate seasons in 2020 and 2021, Sauls appeared in 15 games where he attempted just five extra points, making three of them. [3] In the 2022 Sun Bowl, he converted on all five of his field goal attempts, including the game-winning 47-yard field goal to beat UCLA. [4] In 2022, Sauls made all 47 of his extra point attempts and converted on 20 of his 24 field goals. [5] He struggled in 2023, making just 11 of his 16 field goals. [6] In week 2 of the 2024 season, Sauls hit the game-winning 35-yard field goal to beat Cincinnati. [7] In week 6, he tied the Pittsburgh record converting on a 58 yard field goal in a win over California. [8] For his performance during the 2024 season, Sauls earned multiple honors, including being named a Lou Groza Award Semifinalist, third team all-ACC, and first team all-American. [9] [10] Sauls also accepted an invite to play in the 2025 East-West Shrine Bowl. [11]
The 2008 Pittsburgh Panthers football team represented the University of Pittsburgh in the 2008 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The season was the fourth under head coach Dave Wannstedt. The 2008 season marked the team's eighth at Heinz Field and the program's 119th season.
The 1936 Pittsburgh Panthers football team represented the University of Pittsburgh in the 1936 college football season. In its 13th season under head coach Jock Sutherland, the team compiled a 8–1–1 record, shut out five of its ten opponents, and outscored all opponents by a total of 214 to 34. The team played its home games at Pitt Stadium in Pittsburgh. The Panthers won the Rose Bowl and were selected national champion by the contemporary Boand math system and retroactively years later by the Football Researchers poll and Houlgate math system.
Graham Clark Gano is a Scottish–American professional football placekicker for the New York Giants of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Florida State Seminoles and was signed by the Baltimore Ravens as an undrafted free agent in 2009. Gano has also played for the Las Vegas Locomotives in the United Football League (UFL), the Washington Redskins and the Carolina Panthers. During his time with the Panthers, he achieved the franchise's record for longest field goal at 63 yards in 2018.
The 2010 Pittsburgh Panthers football team represented the University of Pittsburgh in the 2010 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Panthers were members of the Big East Conference. They were led by the sixth-year head coach Dave Wannstedt and played their home games at Heinz Field. 2010 marked the university's 121st season overall. They finished the season 8–5, 5–2 in Big East play to be champions of the Big East with Connecticut and West Virginia. However, due to losses to both schools, Pitt did not earn the conference's bid to a Bowl Championship Series (BCS) game. They were invited to the BBVA Compass Bowl where they defeated Kentucky, 27–10. Wannstedt was forced to resign on December 7, 2010.
The 2011 Pittsburgh Panthers football team represented the University of Pittsburgh in the 2011 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Panthers were led through the regular season by first-year head coach Todd Graham and played eight home games at Heinz Field. Defensive coordinator Keith Patterson was named interim coach for the season-ending bowl game after Graham resigned in favor of a head coaching position at Arizona State.
The 1977 Sugar Bowl was the 43rd edition of the college football bowl game, played at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana, on Saturday, January 1. Part of the 1976–77 bowl game season, it matched the top-ranked Pittsburgh Panthers and the #5 Georgia Bulldogs, champions of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). Independent Pittsburgh won 27–3, and were consensus national champions.
The 2013 Little Caesars Pizza Bowl is an American college football bowl game that was played on December 26, 2013 at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan. The 17th edition of Little Caesars Pizza Bowl featured the Pittsburgh Panthers from the Atlantic Coast Conference against the Bowling Green Falcons from the Mid-American Conference. It was one of the 2013–14 bowl games that concluded the 2013 FBS football season.
Christopher Lynn Boswell is an American professional football placekicker for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Rice and was signed by the Houston Texans in 2014 as an undrafted free agent and has also spent time with the New York Giants. He is currently the most accurate field goal kicker in NFL history on field goal attempts of 50 yards or more.
The 1979 Fiesta Bowl was the ninth edition of the college football bowl game, played at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona on Tuesday, December 25. Part of the 1979–80 bowl game season, it matched the tenth-ranked independent Pittsburgh Panthers and the unranked Arizona Wildcats of the Pacific-10 Conference (Pac-10). Favored Pittsburgh never trailed and won 16–10.
The 1950 Pittsburgh Panthers football team represented the University of Pittsburgh in the 1950 college football season. The team compiled a 1–8 record under head coach Len Casanova.
The 1949 Pittsburgh Panthers football team represented the University of Pittsburgh in the 1949 college football season. The team compiled a 6–3 record under head coach Mike Milligan.
The 2007 Pittsburgh vs. West Virginia football game was a college football game held in Morgantown, West Virginia that marked the 100th Backyard Brawl. Unranked and 4–7 Pitt, a 28½ point underdog, pulled the upset over archrival WVU who, coming into the game, was ranked second in the BCS and AP Poll and first in the Coaches' Poll. By upsetting West Virginia in the Mountaineers' regular season and home finale, the Panthers knocked WVU out of what had been assured to be their first appearance in a BCS National Championship Game and a shot at their first ever National Championship. The game was one of the most important Backyard Brawls in the series history, one of the biggest upsets in both Pittsburgh and West Virginia history, one of the biggest upsets of the season, and was voted as the "Game of the Year" by ESPNU.
Kenneth Shane Pickett is an American professional football quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Pittsburgh Panthers, where he won the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award as a senior, and was selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the first round of the 2022 NFL draft.
Matthew Wright is an American professional football placekicker. Wright played college football at UCF where he was a member of the undefeated 2017 team that was selected as National Champions by the Colley Matrix. He was a member of the 2022 Kansas City Chiefs team who won Super Bowl LVII over the Philadelphia Eagles by a score of 38–35.
Alex Thomas Kessman is an American football placekicker who is a free agent.
Israel "Izzy" Adewale Abanikanda is an American professional football running back for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Pittsburgh. Abanikanda set the Pitt single game rushing record of 320 yards in a game against Virginia Tech in Week 6 of 2022, breaking the record of 303 yards set by Tony Dorsett in 1975. In the same game, he tied a school and ACC record of 6 rushing touchdowns in a game.
Calijah Demetrius Kancey is an American professional football defensive end for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Pittsburgh Panthers, where he was named the 2022 ACC Defensive Football Player of the Year. Kancey was selected by the Buccaneers in the first round of the 2023 NFL draft.
SirVocea Levitticus Dennis is an American professional football linebacker for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Pittsburgh.
Kenny Johnson is an American college football wide receiver for the Pittsburgh Panthers.
Desmond Reid is an American football running back for the Pittsburgh Panthers. He previously played for the Western Carolina Catamounts.