Will Howard threw three touchdown passes and ran for another score, leading No. 3 Ohio State to a 45-0 victory over Purdue on Saturday.
Jeremiah Smith set a new Ohio State freshman record with his ninth touchdown catch of the season. Smith caught a 17-yard touchdown pass late in the first half, breaking the record of eight set by Cris Carter in 1984. Smith finished the game with six receptions for 87 yards.
“He’s getting stronger,” said Ohio State coach Ryan Day. “He’s getting more experience. He’s understanding coverages and different things. Great to see him break a record.”
Smith also set freshman records for the most receptions (45) and receiving yards (765) in a season.
“I feel like I’ve progressed week in and week out,” Smith said. “You’ve got to get better each and every week. It’s not only about the physical side, it’s about the mental side, as well. So, I feel like everything has slowed down for me offensively.”
Howard also threw touchdown passes to Gee Scott Jr. and Emeka Egbuka. He completed 21 of 26 passes for 260 yards and ran for a 1-yard touchdown on a fourth-down play to open the scoring for the Buckeyes (8-1, 5-1 Big Ten, CFP No. 2).
TreVeyon Henderson ran for 85 yards and a touchdown and caught three passes for 43 yards.
Coach Ryan Day had worried about a possible letdown after last week’s tough 20-13 win over then-No. 3 Penn State. But Ohio State responded with a dominant performance, shutting out a Big Ten opponent for the first time since 2017 when they blanked Rutgers.
“It wasn’t all clean today, but I thought guys played hard, and it was good to see us respond after coming off an emotional win last week,” Day said.
The tough season continues for Purdue (1-8, 0-6), which lost its eighth straight game, the longest losing streak since they dropped 10 in a row in 2013.
Purdue quarterback Hudson Card threw for 108 yards and had one interception. Running back Devin Mockobee carried the ball 13 times for 73 yards. This was the second time in the last three games that Purdue was shut out. They also lost 35-0 to Oregon on October 18.
