Oct 21, 2023; Lincoln, Nebraska, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers punter Brian Buschini (18) during the first quarter against the Northwestern Wildcats at Memorial Stadium. Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

Big Ten Awards Nebraska Football's Brian Buschini Player of the Week Honor

Originally posted on Nebraska Cornhuskers on SI
By Austin Jacobsen | Last updated Oct 7, 2024 4:07 PM ET

Nebraska football needed Brian Buschini's right leg - and right arm, as it turned out - to ease out a win over Rutgers on Saturday.

The senior punter from Montana was rewarded with his stellar performance against the Scarlet Knights with his first conference award from the Big Ten on Monday, being named the Special Teams Player of the Week. It is his first FBS honor since being named the FCS Punter of the Year at Montana in 2021.

The Ray Guy Award watch list member had a day to remember Saturday, booting five punts for an average of 50.2 yards and flipping the field repeatedly for the Huskers in their 14-7 victory over Rutgers. Nebraska relied on his deep punts in the second half, as Buschini notched a 61 and 69 yard punt in the second half to pin Rutgers deep in their own territory. The senior also faced 25 mph swirling winds throughout the contest.

Brian Buschini had a day in Week 6

@ifs #PlayerOfTheWeek pic.twitter.com/NUVKIlvbWh
— Big Ten Football (@B1Gfootball) October 7, 2024

Despite having two of his punts blocked, Buschini returned to the field to pin Rutgers inside their own-15 yard line with his 69 yard boot in the game's final minutes to aid the Blackshirts in securing the one-score victory. Buschini was also the holder on both extra point attempts by Nebraska on Saturday.

To top off his performance, Buschini extended a drive in the third quarter with a 30-yard compltion to sophomore receiver Jayln Lloyd on a fake punt inside of Nebraska's own territory. The lunch-pail effort from Buschini earned him Nebraska's first special team's player of the week nod since Quinton Newsome's blocked field goal return for a touchdown won him the honor on Oct. 30 last year.

The senior's 69-yard punt is currently second in the Big Ten behind Wisconsin's Atticus Bertrams. Buschini has only punted one touchback this season, with eight of his 18 total punts being downed inside of the opponent's 20-yard line. He has sent off seven punts of over 50 or more yards.

Buschini joins Dylan Raiola as the only Huskers to have earned conference recognition this season, as the freshman starting quarterback claimed the Freshman of the Week nod after Nebraska's week one win over UTEP.

The Huskers now rest for their first bye week of 2024 before preparing for No. 18 Indiana in Bloomington on Oct. 19. Kickoff has been announced for 11 a.m. CDT with television coverage on FOX.