COLUMBUS, Ohio — Quinshon Judkins rushed for 108 yards and two touchdowns, and freshman Jeremiah Smith recorded 119 receiving yards and a touchdown, helping No. 2 Ohio State dominate Western Michigan 56-0 on Saturday. Ohio State racked up 35 points by halftime and never looked back.
In his second start for Ohio State, quarterback Will Howard was highly efficient, completing his first 10 passes. He finished the game 18-of-26 for 292 yards, with a rushing touchdown before being substituted late in the third quarter.
“I think we played well tonight, but there were still some plays we left out there, some meat on the bone,” Howard said. “That’s the exciting part about this team. We have so many players doing great things, but there’s room to grow and improve.”
Judkins’ two touchdown runs both came on 26-yard end-arounds, while TreVeyon Henderson also contributed two rushing touchdowns.
Smith, the top-ranked recruit of the 2024 class, delivered one of the game’s standout moments when he turned a seven-yard catch from Howard into a 70-yard touchdown in the first quarter. Smith had two touchdown catches in his debut against Akron the previous week.
Ohio State amassed 683 total yards while limiting Western Michigan to just 99. The Broncos were held to five total yards in the second half. In all, 12 different Buckeyes caught passes, and eight players carried the ball, including quarterbacks.
Ohio State head coach Ryan Day defended the team’s aggressive play, emphasizing the importance of giving backups valuable game experience.
“We always try to be respectful,” Day said. “But our guys need to learn and make mistakes now because we’ll need them later in the season. The only way to get them ready is by giving them real-game reps.”
Ohio State also saw quarterback Julian Sayin make his debut during the game. Sayin, a highly regarded five-star recruit who transferred from Alabama after Nick Saban’s retirement, threw his first career touchdown pass—a 55-yard strike to tight end Bennett Christian.
“The team that played against the Badgers last week didn’t show up tonight,” said Western Michigan coach Lance Taylor, reflecting on the tough loss.
Up Next:
Western Michigan will host Bethune-Cookman, an FCS opponent, next Saturday. Ohio State will take a week off before hosting Marshall from the Sun Belt Conference.
