Brian Buschini Season 2023

Honors & Awards
» FCS Punter of the Year (2021 at Montana)
» FCS First-Team All-American (2021 at Montana)
» First-Team All-Big Sky (2021 at Montana)
» Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week (Oct. 7, 2024)
» Academic All-Big Ten (2023)
» Four-Time Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll
» Brook Berringer Citizenship Team (2023, 2024)
» Tom Osborne Citizenship Team (2023, 2024)

2024 (Senior)
A member of the Ray Guy Award watch list, Brian Buschini has handled all of the punting duties for Nebraska this season in addition to being the primary kickoff specialist. He is averaging 46.3 yards per punt, challenging Nebraska's season record of 46.5 yards per punt by Sam Koch in 2005. Buschini has placed 13 of his 35 punts inside the opponent's 20-yard line, including six inside the 10-yard line. He has been recognized as the Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week once this season.

Buschini averaged 48.5 yards on two punts against UTEP. He punted five times against Colorado, averaging 50.8 yards per punt while placing three punts inside the 20-yard line. Nebraska did not punt against Northern Iowa, but Buschini had two touchbacks on four kickoffs. He punted three times against Illinois, averaging 50.3 yards per punt. Buschini punted three times at Purdue. He pinned the Boilermakers inside the 10-yard line on two of his three punts, while his third punt landed inside the 5-yard line and barely trickled into the end zone before it could be downed. 

Buschini made a big impact in Nebraska's 14-7 win over Rutgers. He averaged 50.2 yards on five punts against the Scarlet Knights, including two punts longer than 60 yards. His final punt was a 69-yarder that flipped the field and forced Rutgers to start its final drive from its own 11-yard line. Buschini also completed a 30-yard pass on a successful fake punt against Rutgers. Buschini punted three times at Indiana with a long of 52 yards. He averaged 40.8\ yards on six punts at Ohio State and also had two touchbacks on four kickoffs.

All three of Buschini's punts against UCLA covered more than 50 yards, as he averaged 55.7 yards per punt with a long of 64 yards. He also had three touchbacks on four kickoffs against the Bruins. Buschini averaged 46.0 yards per punt at USC with three of his five punts inside the 20-yard line. He laso had four touchbacks on five kickoffs against the Trojans.

On the season, Buschini has kicked off 25 times with 14 touchbacks.

2023 (Junior)
Buschini, who wore the No. 18 to honor the late Brook Berringer, started all 12 games in 2023, marking the second straight season he started every game. Buschini averaged 40.7 yards on 57 punts. He placed 35 percent (20-of-57) of his punts inside the opponent’s 20-yard line with 19 fair catches, allowing only 19 returns. Buschini had seven punts covering 50 yards or longer.

Buschini punted three times at Minnesota, placing all three of his punts inside the 20-yard line, while averaging 47.7 yards per punt, including a 60-yarder. He averaged 42.8 yards on six punts against Northern Illinois and had one punt downed at the 1-yard line. He had terrific placement against Louisiana Tech, putting five of his six punts inside the 20-yard line while averaging 45.3 yards per punt. 

Buschini averaged 45.7 yards on three punts against Michigan despite punting into the wind each time. Buschini punted four times at Illinois - all into a strong wind - placing one punt inside the 20-yard line. He placed four of his seven punts against Northwestern inside the 20-yard line. Buschini placed two of his five punts inside the 20-yard line against Purdue with a pair of punts longer than 50 yards. 

2022 (Sophomore)
Buschini started all 12 games at punter in 2022. Despite battling a midseason injury, he averaged 44.0 yards per punt on 68 attempts which was the eighth-highest season average in school history. Buschini ranked 25th nationally in punting average in 2022. He had 16 punts of 50 yards or longer and had 14 punts downed inside the opponent’s 20-yard line. For his performance, Buschini was recognized as Nebraska's Special Teams Player of the Year.

In his Husker debut against Northwestern, Buschini averaged 47.2 yards on six punts with four punts downed inside the 20. Against North Dakota, Buschini punted twice, averaging 42.0 yards per punt. He averaged 50.5 yards on four punts against Georgia Southern, including a then-career-long 65-yard punt. Buschini battled through an injury to average 40.8 yards on six punts against No. 6 Oklahoma.

He punted eight times against Indiana, placing four of his punts inside the 20-yard line. Buschini punted seven times at Rutgers. At Purdue, two of his four punts covered more than 50 yards. He punted six times against No. 17 Illinois, averaging 48.2 yards per punt with three punts longer than 50 yards. Buschini booted five of his six punts for longer than 50 yards against Minnesota en route to a career-best 55.5 average. He punted seven times at No. 3 Michigan with a long of 54 yards.

Buschini unleashed a career-long 74-yard punt against Wisconsin, the seventh-longest punt in school history. He ended the year by placing two of his six punts against Iowa inside the 20-yard line.

Before Nebraska (Capital HS/Montana)
Buschini transferred to Nebraska from Montana, where he was recognized as the top punter in the FCS. Buschini spent three seasons  (2019-21) at Montana.

Buschini played in 15 games at Montana, averaging 45.8 yards on 75 career punts. He had 30 punts of 50 yards or longer with the Griz, while placing 35 of his 75 punts inside the opponent’s 20-yard line. Buschini also handled kickoffs for Montana, recording 35 career touchbacks. 

Buschini started all 13 games for the Griz as a redshirt freshman in 2021, when he was named the FCS Punter of the Year and a first-team All-American. Buschini ranked third nationally with an average of 46.0 yards per punt in 2021, and he helped Montana lead the nation in net punting average. His 46.0-yard average was a school record, breaking the previous record of 44.7 set in 1985. Buschini punted 69 times in 2021 with 30 punts downed inside the opponent’s 20-yard line and 28 punts covering 50 yards or longer. 

Montana did not play in the fall of 2020 due to the pandemic and played only two games during an abbreviated 2021 spring schedule.Buschini averaged 43.3 yards per punt that season, placing five of his six punts inside the opponent’s 20-yard line. Buschini redshirted in 2019.

Previously, Buschini was a three-time honorable-mention all-state selection for Capital High School in Helena, Mont., where he handled both the punting and place-kicking duties.

Personal
Brian was born on April 25, 2001. He and his wife, Kellie, were married in 2021. A criminology and criminal justice major, he earned his bachelor's degree from Nebraska in December of 2022 and is pursuing his master's degree in construction engineering and management. He was a 2023 Academic All-Big Ten selection.