Austin Snyder Loses Black Stripe After Taking Over Kicking Duties in Second Half of Ohio State’s Win vs. Marshall

The walk-on kicker had his black stripe removed by Ohio State’s coaching staff on Tuesday after replacing Jayden Fielding on both kickoffs and extra points in the second half of Saturday’s 49-14 win over the Thundering Herd.

The kids got a boot, defines competitive excellence, welcome @austinsny pic.twitter.com/ULlc5XhmaJ

— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) September 24, 2024

Snyder, who transferred to Ohio State last offseason from the University of Findlay, took over kickoff duties for all three of the Buckeyes’ second-half kickoffs after Fielding knocked three straight kickoffs out of bounds in the second quarter. Snyder also handled Ohio State’s final two extra points of the game.

Ryan Day praised Snyder after the game for how he stepped up when called upon.

“I thought Austin did a nice job of stepping in there,” Day said.

Whether Fielding will return to kickoff duties against Michigan State this week remains unclear. Day said Tuesday that Fielding suffered a “tweak” early in the game against Marshall that led to his kickoff issues, but Day said it was “nothing long-term.”

Either way, Snyder’s black stripe removal serves as recognition of his performance against Marshall and a vote of confidence in the 5-foot-7, 194-pound fifth-year senior from Groveport, Ohio, that he can handle kicking duties for the Buckeyes if called upon again.

Snyder is the second Buckeye to lose his black stripe since the start of the season, joining fellow walk-on transfer Joey Velazquez.