Jeremiah Smith ties Ohio State record with 4 TD catches as No. 7 Buckeyes beat Illinois 42-19

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Jeremiah Smith tied an Ohio State record with four touchdown catches and also had career highs with 12 receptions for 217 yards as the seventh-ranked Buckeyes beat Illinois 42-19 on Saturday.

According to Sportradar, it is the 23rd time since 2000 a FBS player has had double-digit catches for at least 200 yards and four scores in a game. The last to do it was Western Michigan's Sky Moore against Northern Illinois in 2021.

It is the fifth time an Ohio State receiver has had four touchdowns. The last time it happened before Saturday was Noah Brown at Oklahoma in 2016.

It also tied for the sixth-most receiving yards in an OSU game and tied for sixth-most receptions.

Smith tied the mark with 10:07 remaining in the fourth quarter when he was wide open on a 26-yard touchdown to extend the Buckeyes' lead to 35-13.

Smith also became the third receiver since 2015 from a Power Four conference to have at least three games with at least 150 receiving yards and two touchdowns in one half. DeVonta Smith had four at Alabama and Ja’Marr Chase did it three times at LSU.

Julian Sayin completed 27 of 36 passes for 367 yards and added had a rushing TD as the Buckeyes (3-1, 1-0) opened Big Ten play with a victory for the 15th straight season.

Illinois (2-2, 0-1) kept it competitive despite Smith's monster game. Katin Houser was 21 of 37 passing for 263 yards and a touchdown and Jordan Anderson had a 22-yard rushing score in the first quarter.

Two plays after Sayin connected with Smith for a 31-yard completion to the Illinois 12 on the opening drive, Smith got leverage on Illini defensive back Juice Clark and hauled in a 7-yard TD to give the Buckeyes a score on their first possession for the third straight game.

After Illinois punted, Smith extended the lead to 14-0 with a 72-yard touchdown, the second-longest catch of his career.

On first-and-10 at the OSU 28, Sayin ran a go route down the middle of the field and got behind Mac Resetich. He caught it at the Illinois 27, did a double move at the 19 to get Resetich turned around in coverage and took it to the house.

The junior then had a highlight grab with 4:12 remaining in the second quarter to put Ohio State up 21-7. On first-and-goal at the 9, Smith got his left foot in near the corner of the end zone while being blanketed in coverage by Tywan Cox.

Illinois: Wide receiver Collin Dixon, who came into the game leading the nation with eight receiving touchdowns, was held to five catches for 63 yards.

Ohio State: Defense will be concern after the Illini rushed for 199 yards and averaged 6.0 yards per carry.

Illinois: Hosts Purdue next Saturday.

Ohio State: At No. 17 Iowa next Saturday.

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