Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith entered Saturday as one of college football’s biggest receiving threats, and he left the Buckeyes’ Big Ten opener with a share of program history and a career-best performance.
Smith tied Ohio State’s single-game record with four receiving touchdowns in No. 7 Ohio State’s 42-19 victory over Illinois. The junior wideout caught 12 passes for a career-high 217 yards as the Buckeyes improved to 3-1 overall and 1-0 in Big Ten play.
The Athletic’s Cameron Teague Robinson noted that Smith became the first player since 2015 to catch four touchdowns in a Big Ten game. Both totals were career highs, making Smith the fifth receiver in Ohio State’s history to have as many touchdown receptions in a single game.
Smith’s first touchdown came on a red-zone fade, while another became a 72-yard score after he beat the defense downfield and made the deep safety miss.
He later added a toe-tap touchdown before closing his four-score performance with a 26-yard reception in the fourth quarter, creating separation from Illinois corner Juice Clarke in the end zone.
The performance moved Smith closer to two Ohio State career records. He has 617 receiving yards and seven touchdowns through four games this season and sits two touchdowns and 10 receptions away from setting the Buckeyes’ all-time records.
Buckeyes quarterback Julian Sayin threw for 367 yards and four touchdowns, all of them targeting Smith, as Ohio State generated 518 yards of offense.
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Smith will enter Ohio State’s next game within striking distance of both career records, with the Buckeyes visiting Iowa on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET.
