Jeremiah Smith makes insane 1-handed TD catch on tipped ball vs. Penn State
By David Wasson
Published:
Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith has already enjoyed a stellar collegiate career, catching 76 passes for 1,315 yards and 15 touchdowns as a freshman for the College Football Playoff national champions.
Smith’s sophomore campaign has been just as strong, entering Saturday with 49 receptions for 602 yards and 7 touchdowns. And when his highlight reel is put together for the NFL Draft, this play Saturday against Penn State will certainly be included.
The stats will show that the above play is just an 11-yard touchdown reception from Julian Sayin, a catch that gave the top-ranked Buckeyes a 38-14 lead over the visiting Nittany Lions.
But that’s why video matters, as Smith was somehow able to track the pass after it was deflected by Penn State defensive back Zakee Wheatley at the line of scrimmage, contort his body and snare the ball out of mid-air at the goal line.
The touchdown reception was Smith’s second of the game, to go with a 14-yard TD catch in the first quarter. And it also burnished Sayin’s case for the Heisman Trophy, turning what probably would have been an incompletion into Sayin’s fourth TD pass of the game and 23rd of the season.
Both Smith and fellow Ohio State receiver Carnell Tate each were comfortably over the 100-yard receiving threshold at that point. The last time the Buckeyes had a pair of 100-yard receivers in the same game was Sept. 11, 2021, against Oregon — as Chris Olave, Garrett Wilson and Jaxon Smith-Njigba each hit the mark against the Ducks.
An APSE national award-winning writer and editor, David Wasson has almost four decades of experience in the print journalism business in Florida and Alabama. His work has also appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times and several national magazines and websites. He also hosts Gulfshore Sports with David Wasson, weekdays from 3-5 pm across Southwest Florida and on FoxSportsFM.com. His Twitter handle: @JustDWasson.
