Ohio State freshman wide receiver Jeremiah Smith (4) is lifted in celebration by junior lineman Carson Hinzman after a 45-yard touchdown to make the score 7-0 in the College Football Playoff quarterfinal against Oregon Wednesday in Pasadena, California. The Buckeyes defeated the Ducks 41-21. Credit: Sandra Fu | Photo Editor
In Ohio State’s most crucial matchup of the year, Buckeyes quarterback Will Howard looked to find his favorite target early and often.
Just three plays into Wednesday’s Rose Bowl rematch against Oregon, that plan worked seamlessly for Ohio State.
Howard found freshman wide receiver Jeremiah Smith for a 45-yard touchdown pass, helping the Buckeyes deal an early blow to Oregon’s defense.
For Howard though, this was expected.
“We knew we were going to come out on fire,” he said. “Coach [Chip] Kelly told me, he was like, ‘We’re going to take some shots early.’”
On the following drive, although no points were scored, Howard connected with Smith twice for gains of 29 and 12 yards, respectively.
Offensive coordinator Kelly said he appreciates Howard’s field vision and awareness, expressing that his quarterback does a great job spreading the ball out and finding what’s open.
“[Smith’s] first pass was a 3-yard; it was almost at the line of scrimmage. The next one was a post over the top,” Kelly said. “So, [Howard’s] doing a really good job of understanding our offense, and what we asked him to do and execute at a high level.”
Howard finished the first quarter with 8-of-12 completions for 212 passing yards and two touchdowns, while Smith recorded half of those catches for 118 yards and one score.
Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day not only praised Smith’s raw talent and athleticism, but also the consistent effort he puts in behind the scenes.
“He had a look in his eye that he wanted to make an impact as a freshman, and I think his teammates would tell you the same thing,” Day said. “He’s earned the respect of the teammates not because of his ability — you guys see his ability — but to me, it’s the work ethic every day.”
Smith’s seventh reception pushed him to 187 yards, meaning he officially shattered Ohio State’s record for most receiving yards in a game by a true freshman. This distinction was previously held by Cris Carter, who racked up 172 yards during the 1985 Rose Bowl.
Though Carter and the 1984-85 Buckeyes fell to No. 18 USC 20-17 Jan. 1, 1985, Smith and the 2024-25 Buckeyes undoubtedly flipped the script 40 years later.
Notably, Smith has now broken Ohio State’s freshman season records for receiving yards (1,224), receptions (70) and touchdowns (14).
Kelly said he feels Smith, Howard and the Buckeye offense have significantly evolved since their first Oct. 12 matchup with the Ducks, noting that having film from the previous game was vital to scheming plays for the freshman phenom.
“There was more film to glean information from, and then there was more growth out of our players,” Kelly said. “You watch how [Howard] now is different than [he] was in the first week of October. [Smith] is different than he was in the first week of October.”
Ultimately, Smith said it’s his and the Buckeye receivers’ job to make Howard “look good,” pointing out how important trust is in their relationship.
“[Howard] does a great job in practice just trusting us, throwing the ball out there,” Smith said. “We just tell them, ‘Just throw it out there, and we’re going to make a play for you,’ no matter if it’s a bad ball or not, we got to make our quarterback look good.”
Howard reflected on his time at Kansas State and expressed excitement about the opportunity to face No. 5 Texas Jan. 10 in the Cotton Bowl, adding that he had lost to them in each of the previous four years.
“The way that we lost last year, we lost in overtime down there,” Howard said on Big Ten Network following the game. “I’m excited to get a crack at these guys. They’re a great football team.”
