Jeremiah Smith takes blame for Will Howard's first interception: 'That was on me'
Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith shouldered the blame for a sequence of events that resulted in quarterback Will Howard throwing his first interception as the Buckeyes' starting quarterback.
“That was on me,” Smith said. “That wasn’t on Will.”
It was late in the first quarter of Saturday's 49-14 win over Marshall when Howard sent a deep ball down the sideline to the star freshman that was instead snatched by cornerback Josh Moten.
Looking back on the play following Wednesday's practice, Smith said he lined up too far outside and should have set up closer to the rest of the formation.
It was something he reviewed with Brian Hartline, the Buckeyes’ co-offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach, not long after returning to their sideline.
“He wanted me to cut my split down,” Smith said.
Setting up too far wide gave Moten leverage in coverage. A former four-star recruit who transferred from Texas A&M last year, Moten never allowed Smith to run past him.
“That was the reason why he just played over the top,” Smith said, “and it was an interception.”
Howard has lofted only a handful of deep balls this season, a result of the Buckeyes dialing up shorter passes against overmatched nonconference opponents, but when Howard has gone long, he has shown a level of trust in Smith.
In the season-opening win over Akron, the two connected on a 45-yard reception. A step past safety Daymon David, Smith pulled in the pass with his left hand.
“He tells me a lot, each and every day, that, ‘If you’re single covered or 1-on-1, I’m going to you no matter what. I’m just throwing it up,’ ” Smith said. “I've just got to make a play.”
Smith has so far this season. Howard targeted him three other times against the Thundering Herd, resulting in three receptions for 70 yards and one touchdown.
Through three games, Smith is leading the Buckeyes with 14 catches for 281 yards and four touchdowns.
Howard's confidence in the 18-year-old was not shaken by the interception.
"I’m gong to trust No. 4 every day of the week," Howard said, "and he’s going to go make that play. Sometimes things happen. It’s football."
Joey Kaufman covers Ohio State football for The Columbus Dispatch. Follow him on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, @joeyrkaufman or email him at jkaufman@dispatch.com.
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio State football WR Jeremiah Smith takes blame for interception
