Ohio State freshman receiver Jeremiah Smith made sure that the No. 3 Buckeyes finished off the first half versus Michigan State in style.
On the Buckeyes’ final drive of the half, Smith made two spectacular one-handed grabs, reaching high on the first one and extending out in front for the other.
Smith made the first catch jumping between Spartans defensive backs Ed Woods and Malik Spencer to snare the ball on the near sideline.
Some might question why Ohio State quarterback Will Howard threw into double coverage, but maybe he knew that the freshman would come down with it. The play resulted in a 27-yard gain.
The second one-hander went for a Buckeyes touchdown and a 24–7 lead going into halftime. Devin Brown took over at QB after Howard took a hard hit from MSU linebacker Jordan Turner and fired a pass down the right sideline on third-and-10 from the Spartans’ 17-yard line.
Smith beat Woods’ jam at the line and ran past him to get open and snare Brown’s pass in front of him. Spencer came over too late from the deep middle to prevent the freshman from catching a touchdown.
Even NBA superstar — and devoted Ohio State fan — LeBron James had to express his appreciation for the dazzling spectacle Smith had provided.
JEREMIAH SMITH!!!! MAN KNOCK IT OFF!!!! MY GOODNESS O-H..
— LeBron James (@KingJames) September 29, 2024
In the first half, Smith made five catches (the other three were conventionally two-handed) for 83 yards and a score. He added a rushing touchdown on a 19-yard end-around midway through the second quarter.
For the season thus far, Smith has 19 receptions for 364 yards and five touchdowns. (He has six TDs altogether including the rushing score against MSU.)
