Ohio State continues to have an embarrassment of riches at wide receiver and star freshman Jeremiah Smith leads the way for the Buckeyes. Ohio State beat Purdue 45-0 in a game that took place at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio. Jeremiah Smith broke the Ohio State freshman record with his ninth touchdown. Ohio State was so dominant in the game they were able to play their second-string players in the fourth quarter. That was very important because this could be a 17-game season where the eventual champion will need depth.
Jeremiah Smith’s Record-Breaking Day
Jeremiah Smith continued his dominant freshman season. He set a record for freshman receiving touchdowns in this game. Jeremiah Smith had six catches for 87 yards in three quarters of action. Those six catches gave him 45 for the year. He is talented and will be a solid professional player when he is done at Ohio State. Ohio State is fortunate to have him as part of their program.
Carnell Tate’s Big Day
Carnell Tate had another big day for Ohio State, continuing his coming out party. Tate is the third wide receiver for Ohio State behind Emeka Egbuka and Jeremiah Smith. He is a viable third option at wide receiver for Ohio State and helps to cement the Ohio State wide receiving corps as the best in the nation. Though Tate only had five catches for 39 yards in three quarters of action he was wide open all day.
Purdue’s Mistakes
Bad teams make mistakes and Purdue is a bad team. Purdue missed a point-blank field goal that would have made the game 7-3. The first Ohio State touchdown was the direct result of Ohio State blocking a punt. In the third quarter Purdue Quarterback, Hudson Card, threw an interception in the end zone. Purdue fumbled in the third quarter and Jack Sawyer scooped up the ball and scored a touchdown. Purdue missed another field goal in the fourth quarter. Purdue is a better basketball school than a football school.
Game 6 Notes
The Ohio State defense had three sacks in the first half. A welcome fast start as they had problems generating pressure in the first seven games of the season. Freshman Defensive Tackle Eddrick Houston had a costly third-down unsportsmanlike penalty that kept Ohio State’s defense on the field. Houston started because Tyleik Williams was hurt and did not play. There was also a scary first half moment for Ohio State. Offensive Lineman Carson Hinzman was hurt but he returned. Ohio State cannot sustain any more injuries on the offensive line and Hinzman has played well since he was inserted last game. Quarterback Will Howard had another accurate game. He was 21 for 26.
Scoring Summary
In the first quarter, Will Howard scored to give Ohio State a 7-0 lead. In the second quarter, Gee Scott scored a touchdown to give Ohio State a 14-0 lead. Jeremiah Smith scored at the end of the second quarter to give Ohio State a 21-0 lead at halftime. In the third quarter, Ohio State began the scoring with a 32-yard field goal.
Then Ohio State Running Back Treyvon Henderson scored a touchdown, giving Ohio State a 31-0 lead. Next, Jack Sawyer scooped up a fumble and scored a touchdown, and Ohio State led 38-0. Ohio State was favored by 38 points at kickoff. Emeka Egbuka then caught a touchdown to make the score 45-0 at the start of the fourth quarter.
Conclusion
Jeremiah Smith was open all day and this game was not competitive, as forecasted. Ohio State had wide receivers open on almost every play. It is not clear why quarterback Will Howard, who was sacked multiple times and fell in the backfield in the third quarter, held on to the ball. Ohio State plays at Wigley Field against Northwestern next week. Then the Buckeyes host Indiana, in a game that will be a showdown that Ohio State must win. The Buckeyes host Michigan in the last game of the season on November 30.
