Buckeyes Roll Past Illinois 42-19 Behind Record Night from Jeremiah Smith
The short version
- Ohio State defeated Illinois 42-19 on Sept. 26, its 10th straight win in the series.
- Jeremiah Smith set career highs in receptions, yards and touchdowns, joining Terry Glenn as the only Buckeyes receivers with 200 yards and four TDs in a game.
- Julian Sayin passed for 367 yards and four touchdowns and rushed for 29 yards and a score.
- Illinois gained 462 yards, the most allowed by Ohio State since its 2024 loss to Oregon.
- Ohio State travels to Iowa next week.
Ohio State opened conference play Sept. 26 with a home win fueled by career-best receiving numbers and a sharp passing day from quarterback Julian Sayin.
Ohio State opened Big Ten play with a 42-19 victory over Illinois on Sept. 26, extending its winning streak in the series to 10 games. Wide receiver Jeremiah Smith delivered the headline performance, setting personal bests in catches, receiving yards and touchdowns while strengthening his Heisman Trophy candidacy.
Smith became just the second Buckeyes wideout, after Terry Glenn, to record 200 receiving yards and four touchdowns in a single game. He caught three of his scoring passes before halftime, then added a fourth after the break.
His touchdowns came in a variety of ways. On the opening drive, working from the 7-yard line against cornerback Juice Clarke in single coverage, Smith got open inside for an easy catch despite the defender's position. On the following possession, Illinois left him alone with safety Mac Resetich, and Smith's preseason emphasis on yards after the catch paid off — two cuts left Resetich off balance and Smith jogged in untouched.
The third score was the standout. Running a corner route toward the right pylon, Smith hauled in an over-the-shoulder throw from Julian Sayin, pinning the ball against his helmet with his right hand, planting his left foot inbounds and securing it with his left, all in tight coverage.
Sayin's own numbers were substantial: 367 passing yards, four touchdown passes and a 75% completion rate, plus 29 rushing yards and a score on the ground. He opened the game with eight straight completions for 148 yards and two touchdowns, and his mobility mattered — he converted quarterback sneaks on short-yardage plays, broke free on a third-and-7 scramble in the second quarter after escaping pressure and a tackle attempt, and later raced a defender to the pylon for a 7-yard rushing touchdown.
The distribution went beyond Smith. Freshman receivers Chris Henry Jr., Brock Boyd and Phillip Bell each converted key first downs, while tight end Nate Roberts and wideout Devin McCuin caught four passes apiece. The ground game chipped in 32 carries at 4.7 per attempt, split between Ja'kobi Jackson and Bo Jackson. With its best offensive showing of the season, Ohio State addressed the red-zone and short-yardage issues it carried into the game.
Defensively, the picture was mixed. Illinois never reached the red zone in the first half and scored only 19 points, but the Illini piled up 462 total yards — the most Ohio State had surrendered since a 2024 loss to Oregon — including 199 rushing yards at 6.0 per carry. Jordan Anderson broke off a 22-yard touchdown run. The Buckeyes pressured quarterback Katin Houser 12 times, with freshman end Khary Wilder notching three; Riley Pettijohn and Kenyatta Jackson Jr. recorded sacks. Hudson Clement caught five passes for 87 yards, but the secondary made momentum-shifting plays: Devin Sanchez broke up three passes, including two back-to-back, Jaylen McClain's fourth-quarter breakup on a pass to Brayden Trimble near the goal line forced a turnover on downs, and Jermaine Mathews Jr., Jay Timmons and linebacker T.J. Alford added breakups.
On special teams, Ohio State shelved the Legend Bey kickoff experiment in favor of Brandon Inniss and Devin McCuin, with McCuin returning one kick for 20 yards. Punter Joe McGuire averaged 43.5 yards on two punts, dropping one inside the 20, and the Buckeyes recorded no punt returns. Kicker Connor Hawkins made all his extra points and did not try a field goal.
The coaching staff drew solid marks for the plan. Offensive coordinator Arthur Smith's approach of feeding Jeremiah Smith while keeping balance proved effective, and third-down play-calling improved markedly, with Ohio State converting 8 of 12 third downs and both fourth-down attempts. Next up is a road date with Iowa, one of several strong rushing offenses — Indiana among them — that will test a run defense still seeking answers.
Games to watch
