Penn State kicker Ryan Barker named B1G Freshman of the Week
Penn State kicker Ryan Barker‘s dream was quickly fulfilled. Walking off the Nittany Lions in a 33-30 overtime win at Southern Cal on Saturday afternoon, what he’d envisioned as a recruit turned into reality.
Announced Monday afternoon, that dream took another step forward. In the wake of his four made field goals and three extra points, Barker has been named the Big Ten’s Freshman of the Week.
Penn State kicker comes through in the clutch
Barker’s emergence couldn’t have come at a more critical time for Penn State. Locked in a battle with the Trojans in a much-anticipated matchup, the redshirt freshman delivered a pair of first-half field goals to put the Nittany Lions on the board. Hitting his first from 34 yards, he followed it with a 33-yarder late in the second quarter.
The second half and overtime proved to deliver his most critical contributions, though.
Stalling out in the red zone during a comeback bid early in the fourth quarter, Barker’s made 20-yard attempt tied the game, 23-23, with 10:50 to play. And, called upon a final time in overtime, he sent home a 36-yard attempt to give the Nittany Lions the win.
“It’s truly a dream come true,” said Barker. “Ever since I stepped foot here, it’s all I’ve ever wanted to do is hit a game-winning field goal. It means the world to me and my teammates. I’m just super proud of myself and being able to come in here and get the win.”
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Perseverance shines in Barker’s performance
That Barker was even in position to help lift the Nittany Lions to the win would have been unlikely as recently as one month ago. Losing out to scholarship kicker Sander Sahaydak in a competition that spanned the offseason and preseason camp, Barker remained committed to his process and a competition that didn’t abate.
Then, with Sahaydak missing his first attempt of the season at Illinois, making two against Bowling Green, and returning to miss two attempts against Illinois, an opportunity emerged. Earning the job against UCLA, Barker converted twice against UCLA before his big moments in Los Angeles arrived.
“I wouldn’t say it was too hard (to persevere),” Barker said. “Coach Lustig always talks about preparing like you’re the starter no matter where you are on the depth chart. And so I didn’t take that lightly. So, I prepared every week like I was the starter. And when my time came, I knew I had to make the most of it.”
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