Ohio State hammers Akron in season opener; Smith has breakout first game

Brody Bitters

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Ohio State hammers Akron in season opener; Smith has breakout first game image

This past Saturday, August 31, the Ohio State Buckeyes took the field for the first time during the 2024 football season, and they did not disappoint. 

Well, for the most part. The first drive of the game for the Buckeyes started with a three-and-out and an eventual field goal for the Akron Zips to put up the first points of the game, leading 3-0. 

It was not until around the 3 minute mark that OSU finally accumulated some points with a Jeremiah Smith touchdown from Will Howard. 

 

 

Overall, the entirety of the first half for the Buckeyes was a slow start, as they went into halftime with a small lead of 17-3. Head coach Ryan Day knew that the team was not executing and that adjustments had to be made. And that is exactly what they did.

The third quarter and the rest of the second half was all Buckeyes. From the Quinshon Judkins and James Peoples running touchdowns to a Lathan Ransom fumble return for a score, the Buckeyes turned up the pressure on both sides of the ball. 

 

 

Ohio State ended the game defeating the Akron Zips 52-6 at Ohio Stadium. Quarterback Will Howard had a great performance throwing for 228 yards on 17 completions and three touchdowns. 

However, the star of the game was true-freshman receiver Jeremiah Smith. On six receptions he had over 90 yards and two touchdowns, averaging just over 15 yards per catch. If the two new Buckeyes are able to keep this type of connection, the sky's the limit for OSU.

The Buckeyes look to host Western Michigan on Saturday, September 7 at 7:30 PM EST.

 

 

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Brody Bitters

Brody Bitters Photo

Brody Bitters is a graduate from Butler University, where he studied Sports Media and Strategic Communications for four years. Brody previously worked as a sports reporter in Zanesville, Ohio, where he covered all things athletics from high school football, baseball, and track & field to the NBA, NFL, and MLB. Born and raised in Columbus, Ohio, Brody played basketball, football, and soccer and is a diehard Buckeye. Moreover, Brody is a massive fan of the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Denver Broncos, which appear random on paper, but have very specific and unique backstories.