Matt Tamanini
Guest
Moment of the Game: There are no words to accurately describe Jeremiah Smith
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Dale Young-Imagn Images
With two one-handed catches in the course five plays, we are not worthy of J.J.’s skills.
Magnificent. Wonderful. Marvelous. Remarkable. Breathtaking. Incredible. Spectacular. Amazing. Dazzling.
Those are all words that could be used to describe Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, but they don’t come anywhere close to being specific enough to describe just how good the true freshman is.
Prodigious. Astonishing. Incomprehensible. Astounding. Sensational. Miraculous. Fantastic. Phenomenal. Exceptional.
Nope. Those still don’t cut it.
We already knew that Smith was special, but his seemingly back-to-back one-handed catches in the second quarter of Ohio State’s 38-7 win over the Michigan State Spartans were mind-boggling. Both came in the final minute of the first half and despite both being of the one-handed variety, they showed all of the different talents that the 18-year-old brings to the field.
On the night, he had five receptions for 83 yards receiving and 19 yards rushing. He added two touchdowns, one receiving (which we will talk about below) and one on the ground, the first of his career.
The first came with 50 seconds remaining and the Buckeyes at the Spartans’ 44-yard line up 17-7. Quarterback Will Howard had a clean pocket and wanted to get the ball downfield, so he locked on the best wide receiver in college football and threw it in Smith’s general direction. Even though there were two defenders in the vicinity, the freshman skied over MSU defensive backs Malik Spencer and Ed Woods to snag the ball with his right hand.
Then, despite being hit, he pulled it into his body securing a 27-yard completion to get the Buckeyes to the 17.
After two incompletions and a shot that knocked Howard out of the game, Devin Brown came in and threw a pass that resulted in one of the most eye-popping catches you will see in college football all season.
On 3rd-and-10 with 34 seconds remaining before halftime, Smith released off of the line, and seemingly looped around Woods looking for a fade to the end zone. However, before the Buckeye receiver had even cleared the MSU defender, Brown threw the ball to where he knew Smith would be.
It was a little bit in front of him, but it was in a position that either Smith was going to catch it, or it would be an incompletion rather than an interception. Unsurprisingly, the latter was what ended up happening and Smith did it in the most otherworldly way.
In full stride, Smith reached out his right arm and with hands like a vice grip, caught the ball with one hand and continued running into the end zone to put the Buckeyes up 24-7.
We called Marvin Harrison an alien, and after the first game, I wondered what superlative we should bestow upon his replacement in the rotation. But now that we are four games into his collegiate career, I’m not sure that we should even bother coming up with a silly little way to describe J.J., because nothing we decide on will do him justice. Smith has defied not only expectations in his first four games but history as well.
Through four games, Smith has 364 yards and 5 receiving touchdowns on 19 receptions. That’s in four games. Ohio State’s freshmen receiving records were set by Cris Carter in 1984. Those marks, which will be eclipsed this year barring anything unforeseen, are 41 catches, 648 yards, and 8 touchdowns.
Jeremiah Smith is electric, he’s stupendous, he’s awe-inspiring, he’s fabulous, he’s thrillifying, he’s amazeballs, he’s scrumdiddlyumptious. Don’t believe me? Take another look at this week’s moment of the game.
Continue reading...
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Dale Young-Imagn Images
With two one-handed catches in the course five plays, we are not worthy of J.J.’s skills.
Magnificent. Wonderful. Marvelous. Remarkable. Breathtaking. Incredible. Spectacular. Amazing. Dazzling.
Those are all words that could be used to describe Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, but they don’t come anywhere close to being specific enough to describe just how good the true freshman is.
Prodigious. Astonishing. Incomprehensible. Astounding. Sensational. Miraculous. Fantastic. Phenomenal. Exceptional.
Nope. Those still don’t cut it.
We already knew that Smith was special, but his seemingly back-to-back one-handed catches in the second quarter of Ohio State’s 38-7 win over the Michigan State Spartans were mind-boggling. Both came in the final minute of the first half and despite both being of the one-handed variety, they showed all of the different talents that the 18-year-old brings to the field.
On the night, he had five receptions for 83 yards receiving and 19 yards rushing. He added two touchdowns, one receiving (which we will talk about below) and one on the ground, the first of his career.
The first came with 50 seconds remaining and the Buckeyes at the Spartans’ 44-yard line up 17-7. Quarterback Will Howard had a clean pocket and wanted to get the ball downfield, so he locked on the best wide receiver in college football and threw it in Smith’s general direction. Even though there were two defenders in the vicinity, the freshman skied over MSU defensive backs Malik Spencer and Ed Woods to snag the ball with his right hand.
Then, despite being hit, he pulled it into his body securing a 27-yard completion to get the Buckeyes to the 17.
After two incompletions and a shot that knocked Howard out of the game, Devin Brown came in and threw a pass that resulted in one of the most eye-popping catches you will see in college football all season.
On 3rd-and-10 with 34 seconds remaining before halftime, Smith released off of the line, and seemingly looped around Woods looking for a fade to the end zone. However, before the Buckeye receiver had even cleared the MSU defender, Brown threw the ball to where he knew Smith would be.
It was a little bit in front of him, but it was in a position that either Smith was going to catch it, or it would be an incompletion rather than an interception. Unsurprisingly, the latter was what ended up happening and Smith did it in the most otherworldly way.
In full stride, Smith reached out his right arm and with hands like a vice grip, caught the ball with one hand and continued running into the end zone to put the Buckeyes up 24-7.
We called Marvin Harrison an alien, and after the first game, I wondered what superlative we should bestow upon his replacement in the rotation. But now that we are four games into his collegiate career, I’m not sure that we should even bother coming up with a silly little way to describe J.J., because nothing we decide on will do him justice. Smith has defied not only expectations in his first four games but history as well.
Through four games, Smith has 364 yards and 5 receiving touchdowns on 19 receptions. That’s in four games. Ohio State’s freshmen receiving records were set by Cris Carter in 1984. Those marks, which will be eclipsed this year barring anything unforeseen, are 41 catches, 648 yards, and 8 touchdowns.
Jeremiah Smith is electric, he’s stupendous, he’s awe-inspiring, he’s fabulous, he’s thrillifying, he’s amazeballs, he’s scrumdiddlyumptious. Don’t believe me? Take another look at this week’s moment of the game.
Continue reading...