Ohio State rolled past Kent State 59-3 on Saturday, closing out its non-conference schedule and heading into the nine conference games at 2-1.
There was plenty to like in the blowout, even if some parts of the performance were less sharp than the final score suggested. Brandon Inniss turned in the best game of his career, Riley Pettijohn picked off the first pass of his career, and Jeremiah Smith kept making history even in what counted as a relatively quiet afternoon by his standards.
Smith finished with five catches for 85 yards and moved past Michael Jenkins for the all-time Ohio State receiving yard record. Jenkins’ 2,898 yards from 2000-03 had stood for more than two decades, but Smith needed only two seasons and three games to break it.
Inniss made the most of his chances all day. He caught four passes for 78 yards and a touchdown, and he also hauled in a 49-yard touchdown catch at the end of the first half on a Hail Mary.
The numbers still don’t fully capture what he has done through three games, though. He has been targeted seven times this season and caught all seven.
He also had a chance for more today, with Julian Sayin missing him wide open in the end zone.
Pettijohn continued his steady climb with another strong outing. He totaled three tackles and came away with his first career interception after jumping a route and making a clean grab. He has been one of Ohio State’s better defenders all season, and his role could become even more interesting once conference play begins.
Not everything was crisp, though, and the offensive game plan drew a C. Ohio State had stretches where it looked like a team going through the motions against an overmatched opponent.
The Buckeyes went just 1-for-8 on third down, averaged only 3.8 yards per rush, and left a couple of touchdowns on the field early. In a game like this, those issues don’t change the result, but they are not new after what showed up against Texas.
Even the broadcast earned a C. Gus Johnson, usually a reliable voice, seemed checked out from the opening snap and called the game that way. The matchup may not have had marquee appeal, but it still needed to be called with more energy than that.
In Other News...
Jeremiah Smith Just Entered Rare Ohio State Receiver Company
Jeremiah Smith has already put himself in some rare Ohio State company, and the numbers behind it only underline how quickly he has become the centerpiece of the Buckeyes passing game. By moving past Michael Jenkins to become the schools all-time leading receiver, Smith added another mark to a resume that keeps growing even as he still has plenty of football ahead of him.
Smith has made clear he is not finished, either, saying he wants to chase more school records as Ohio State moves through the season. Ryan Day has been just as effusive, praising both Smiths production and the way he carries himself, and for a program that has seen its share of star wideouts, that combination is what makes this climb feel especially notable. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio State Fans Have A New Fox Frustration After Another Blowout
Ohio States latest rout gave fans another chance to notice something besides the scoreboard, and it was Foxs broadcast that drew the heat this time. During the Buckeyes 59-3 win over Kent State, play-by-play voice Gus Johnson was criticized for sounding unusually flat on several big moments, an odd fit for a game that spent most of the afternoon as a one-sided showcase.
The reaction picked up after Chris Henry Jr.s touchdown catch, when Johnson described it as Henrys first score as a Buckeye. Fans also pointed to the same muted tone on other big plays, including Jamir Perezs fumble return touchdown and earlier Ohio State scores, continuing a pattern that has followed Johnson through previous Buckeyes blowouts. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio State's Most Unexpected Touchdown Came From A Player Fans Didn't Expect
Ohio States defense got an unexpected jolt in its rout of Kent State, and it came from a player built more for clogging the middle than finding the end zone. Freshman defensive tackle Jamir Perez turned a fumble recovery into a touchdown in the 59-3 win, a rare scoring moment for a position group that usually measures success in tackles and quarterback pressure rather than points.
For a Buckeyes team that cruised through the afternoon, Perezs run to the end zone stood out as one of the games most memorable moments. Ryan Day even had a little fun afterward when the play and the celebration came up, a reminder that sometimes the biggest surprise of a lopsided game is the one nobody saw coming. [Read more 🡒]