Ohio State star receiver Jeremiah Smith needed barely more than one quarter to set a new career high in receiving yards as part of a record-setting performance in the Buckeyes’ 41-21 Rose Bowl victory over Oregon on Wednesday. The freshman phenom finished with seven receptions for 187 yards and two touchdowns and was lethal early as the (8) Buckeyes took a commanding 34-0 lead on the top-seeded Ducks.
In addition to his own career-high, Smith set an Ohio State school record for most receiving yards in a game by a freshman. He also set a new Big Ten record for most touchdown catches by a freshman as he increased his tally to 14 for the season.
It was just the latest in a series of memorable showings for the former five-star prospect, who needed only nine games to pass Cris Carter’s school record for most receptions by a freshman. Smith entered the Rose Bowl with 63 receptions for 1,037 yards and 12 touchdowns and wasted no time adding to those figures.
Buckeyes quarterback Will Howard found Smith for a 45-yard touchdown 51 seconds into the game. Later in the first quarter, the duo connected on plays of 29 and 32 yards. Smith then put Ohio State ahead 24-0 with 10:28 remaining in the first half by hauling in a 43-yard touchdown as he found himself wide open deep down the field.
Smith isn’t the first Ohio State receiver to put together a memorable individual performance in the Rose Bowl in recent years. Jaxon Smith-Njigba capped his sophomore season with 15 catches for 347 yards and three touchdowns in the Buckeyes’ 48-45 win over Utah in 2022. Marvin Harrison Jr. also hauled in three touchdown grabs in that game to cap his freshman campaign.
Smith’s performance made him just the fifth player in College Football Playoff history with 175 yards receiving and two receiving touchdowns in a game. He is the first to do it since Heisman Trophy winner DeVonta Smith did it for Alabama in 2020.
