In Pitt’s 7-0 start to the season, the Panthers have been energized by a new-look offense at times. Over the past two games, the Pitt defense has led the charge to victories. But perhaps the most consistent thing the team has is when it is lining up for a field goal, because Pitt arguably has the best kicker in college football right now.

Following Pitt’s 41-13 shellacking over Syracuse on Thursday night at Acrsiure Stadium, senior kicker Ben Sauls is now a perfect 12-of-12 on his field goals. The Ohio native buried both attempts against the Orange, including 57-yard boot in the fourth quarter going into the open end zone of Acrsiure Stadium.

“He's the best one I've ever been around,” Pitt head coach Pat Narduzzi said of his kicker after his team’s win over Syracuse. “I would imagine he'd be up for the Lou Groza (Award). They should just give it to him mid-season. He's automatic from 57, 58. Doesn't matter where you put him. He's been outstanding this entire season.”

Dating back to the end of last season, Sauls has now connected on 14 field goal attempts in a row, which stands as a current Pitt record. Of his 12 makes this season, seven have been from 47 yards or longer, giving the team the assurance it always has a fallback option when a drive sputters in opposing territory.

“My confidence again comes from preparation,” Sauls told reporters after the game. “We have elite preparation every single day, but with that, I have absolutely the best holder and snapper in the country. They provide a perfect snap over the spot, perfect hold, I never see laces, and that makes my job so much easier.”

Sauls’ first field goal came from 49 yards, as it was sandwich between two defensive touchdowns from Rasheem Biles and Kyle Louis. That jaw-dropping defensive flurry, along with Sauls’ field goal, helped build a 17-0 advantage for the 19th-ranked Panthers after one quarter.

Biles, a sophomore linebacker, has been key to Pitt’s success on defense this season. He finished with a team-high 12 tackles and recorded a sack in the team’s dominant win over the Orange, but he knows the value for the whole team in having an elite kicker like Sauls.

“If I’m an NFL team, GM, I’m using a draft pick on that guy,” Biles said of his teammate. “That guy is going to the league next year. He’s a guy. He’s a sniper. Best kicker in the nation, literally.”

Biles is probably not too far off in his assessment. Sauls is one of six kickers in the FBS with a perfect 1.000% field goal percentage this season. Kicker is a position where success is certainly tied to confidence, something Sauls is not lacking as a competitor. He noted he is not always in tune with what is happening on the field, and often pretends the score is 0-0. Because of that, he can lock-in specifically on his job.

“I know the ball is going to be there, so I have all the confidence in my unit,” he explained. “I know my leg is elite, and if I put my leg to the ball, it’s going to go in.”

It’s been going in over and over again this season. Sauls has been a big reason Pitt has started 7-0. A huge part for ant team to remain unbeaten is having the ability to lean on different areas throughout a game, and season. As a five-year veteran of college football, Sauls believes this Pitt particular Pitt team has those traits.

“You look, we’re 7-0 at this point, and a win has come from each phase of the football,” the senior kicker said. “Each of the three phases: special teams has won games, offense has won games, defense has won games, and then altogether we’ve won games as a team. If we continue to do that, we’re going to be dangerous.”

It is safe to say Pitt is certainly a danger to ACC teams as it stands today. With a defense full of sharks roaming the field, a quick strike offense, and a kicker who is nearly automatic, the Panthers have the makeup of a team that can keep this run going beyond just a 7-0 start, the program's best since 1982.

Sauls was around for Pitt’s ACC title in 2021, as well as the team’s 9-win season the following year. But after hearing his teammate Biles mention something, it struck Sauls that this team is a bit different than any he has been a part of to date.

“I think I just heard ‘Heem say it, the closest team I’ve been apart of, and I think that’s very unique and it speaks to our chemistry as a team and our successes a team,” said the senior kicker. “Preseason, nobody predicted this, and we knew that going into it, and I think that just made us closer, so good on them.”

Good on Sauls, too. Pitt has had plenty of standout individual performances through seven games, but none have been as consistent as the Panthers’ sure-footed lefty kicker.