COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) Jeremiah Smith became Ohio State Buckeyes’s career receiving yardage leader, Ja’Kobi Jackson scored twice and the sixth-ranked Buckeyes rolled to a 59-3 victory over Kent State Golden Flashes on Saturday.
Ohio State (2-1) took immediate control, scoring on its first four drives as it rebounded after last week’s 24-23 loss at No. 1 Texas where it squandered a 20-point, fourth-quarter lead.
“You’re looking for a response out of a group of guys coming off of last week, which I thought we did. And regardless of the opponent, you want clean execution on offense and you want a bunch of running and hitting on defense, and energy and passion and violence running around, which I thought we did,” coach Ryan Day said.
Smith had five receptions for 85 yards. The junior needed 26 yards to surpass Michael Jenkins’ 2,898 yards from 2000-03 and become OSU’s record holder and got it on his second catch of the game, when he hauled in a 23-yard pass from Julian Sayin midway through the first quarter.
“Put a lot of hard work into it. They said 33 games, so I’m blessed. But I got two more (records) to get,” Smith said.
Sayin completed 18 of 22 passes for 242 yards and two touchdowns. The Buckeyes had seven pass plays of at least 20 yards, including Chris Henry’s 75-yard TD on Luke Fahey’s pass during the fourth quarter.
Ohio State took the opening kickoff and scored 2:53 into the game on Jackson’s 11-yard run up the middle. The senior transfer from Florida also had a 1-yard TD in the third quarter.
Bo Jackson, the Buckeyes’ leading rusher with 73 yards on 11 carries, and Isaiah West also had rushing scores.
Kent State didn’t cross midfield until late in the first half, when Da’Realyst Clark connected with Wayne Harris for a 29-yard completion to the Buckeyes 21. The Golden Flashes came up empty on that drive through, turning it over on downs at the OSU 15 after an incomplete pass by Dru DeShields on fourth-and-4.
Kent State (1-2) avoided a shutout late in the fourth quarter on Sean Leonard’s 30-yard field goal. The score was set up when Tanner Mintz picked off a pass by Trevien St. Clair and ran it back 48 yards to the OSU 5.
“Never feels good to lose that way. I’m really proud of our guys and the fight and the compete they showed,” Kent State coach Mark Carney said. “There’s a lot of details we’ve got to clean up to be our best selves. I’m not sure we’ve gotten there just yet, but excited to keep building with this group.”
The Buckeyes were content to run out the clock in the first half before Kent State’s Joel Corboba was called for a roughing the passer penalty to move the ball to the OSU 36. Two plays later, Smith had a 15-yard catch to the Kent State 49.
After a Golden Flashes timeout, Sayin rolled right and heaved it toward the end zone, when Brandon Inniss caught it in the middle of a crowd of Kent State defensive backs to make it 35-0.
Jamir Perez had an 11-yard scoop-and-score fumble return early in the fourth quarter to extend the Buckeyes’ lead to 56-0.
Linebacker Braxton Rembert forced Kent State quarterback Ethan Thanthanavong to fumble at the Kent State 18 after a high snap. Perez – a 6-foot-3, 349-pound freshman – picked up the loose ball and had a clear path to the end zone.
Perez was then mobbed by teammates in the end zone and did a big man dance while the sideline celebrated.
Is he the heaviest guy to ever score a touchdown in Ohio State history? He might, right?” Day asked. “When you get excited for someone else’s accomplishments almost more than yourself, then we have something. And to me that was most important there.”
Kent State: The Golden Flashes, who received $1.9 million for their trip to Columbus, used four quarterbacks and had five players attempt passes. Clark, a wide receiver, had the longest completion of the day.
Ohio State: Day gathered the entire team before the start of the fourth quarter to reiterate how important it was to finish during the final 15 minutes.
“We know how important that these fourth quarters are going to be and it doesn’t matter what the score is, the game is or the opponent is. We want everybody up together recognizing where we’re at and what’s at stake,” Day said. “That’s something I’m going to continue because it’s about the team, our tribe. It’s about us coming together, playing for each other and what do you want to sacrifice for your teammate? I know that sounds like coach talking cliche, but it is more important to me now than ever.”
Kent State: Begins Mid-American Conference play against Ball State next Saturday.
Ohio State: Hosts Illinois next Saturday to open its Big Ten schedule.
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