Jeremiah Smith breaks Big Ten career receiving yards record
Smith caught 11 passes for 117 yards against Northwestern, passing John Standeford’s conference mark as Ohio State won 28-19.
Ohio State receiver Jeremiah Smith set the Big Ten career receiving-yardage record during the Buckeyes’ 28-19 win over Northwestern in Columbus on Saturday, Nov. 14. He caught 11 passes for 117 yards, taking his career total to 3,875.
- Smith passed Purdue’s John Standeford, whose conference record was 3,788 career receiving yards.
- His 42nd career touchdown catch put Ohio State ahead 28-13 with 6:33 left in the fourth quarter.
- Ohio State ended a two-game losing streak and was scheduled to play Nebraska on Nov. 21.
How Smith passed the Big Ten record
Smith moved past Standeford on his fourth reception against Northwestern, ESPN reported. Standeford set the previous mark while playing for Purdue from 2000 to 2003. Smith’s 117-yard outing brought him to 3,875 career yards, 87 beyond the old record. WHIO also reported that he holds Ohio State’s career records for receptions, receiving yards and touchdown catches, with totals of 243, 3,875 and 42, respectively.
The yardage record was one of several marks in play. Smith tied the Big Ten record with his 17th game of at least 100 receiving yards, matching Purdue’s David Bell and Michigan’s Braylon Edwards. He had already passed Edwards for the conference touchdown-reception record earlier this season. Smith’s 42nd touchdown catch against Northwestern extended Ohio State’s lead to 28-13 with 6:33 remaining. The Buckeyes won 28-19.
Ohio State got Smith involved early
The game followed a 41-28 loss to Oregon the previous Saturday. ESPN reported that Ohio State went almost two full quarters without targeting Smith in that game. Against Northwestern, the Buckeyes targeted him on 10 of their first 29 plays, and he finished with 17 targets. Coach Ryan Day said the team made a concerted effort to involve Smith early and often after the Oregon loss.
One key connection came midway through the third quarter, with Ohio State leading 14-13 and facing third-and-10 at the Northwestern 28-yard line. Freshman quarterback Luke Fahey found Smith near the boundary. Officials initially ruled the pass incomplete, then overturned the call after review, determining Smith had got a foot in bounds. Four plays later, Fahey threw an eight-yard touchdown pass to Devin McCuin, making it 21-13.
Asked about Smith’s Heisman case, Day called him “completely dominant” and said he deserved consideration. Day also said Smith deserved the opportunity to touch the football, citing what he had done for the program and his teammates. The comments were Day’s assessment; the game reports did not establish an award outcome.
The win brought Ohio State to 7-3 overall and 5-2 in the Big Ten, ending a two-game losing streak and keeping its playoff and conference-title hopes alive, ESPN reported. WHIO reported that the Buckeyes’ next scheduled game was at Nebraska in Lincoln on Nov. 21.
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What this story rests on
2 sources from 2 organisations: 1 broadcaster, 1 news outlet.
- 1Ohio State wideout sets Big Ten receiving record in winWHIO (republished by Yahoo Sports) · sports.yahoo.comNews outlet
- 2Ohio State WR Smith sets Big Ten record, states Heisman caseESPN · espn.comBroadcaster
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.
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