Texas Clamps Jeremiah Smith After Halftime, Steals a One-Point Win

Jeremiah Smith looked unstoppable for three quarters. Then Texas took him out of the game without a sack-fumble highlight. The Ohio State wideout finished with eight catches for 164 yards and a touchdown Saturday night in Austin, ESPN reported, but he did not catch another ball after a 43-yard reception with 9:37 left in the third.

That quiet stretch helped No. 4 Texas climb from 23-3 down to a 24-23 win over the No. 1 Buckeyes.

Coach Steve Sarkisian told ESPN the staff decided to pressure quarterback Julian Sayin more and ask the cornerbacks to win their one-on-ones. Justin Cryer and Rett Andersen broke up the next two throws intended for Smith, both on third down. Sayin still finished with 278 yards, the Associated Press reported via CBS Sports, but Ohio State's offense managed only one field goal after halftime.

The damage before the clamp

Smith's night included 43-yard catches in the second and third quarters and a 19-yard touchdown from Sayin with 10 seconds left in the first half that made it 20-3. Ohio State had already cashed Texas' early turnover gifts: a Raleek Brown fumble on the opening snap and an interception when a ball bounced off Cam Coleman near the goal line.

By the time Smith made his last catch, the Buckeyes led by three scores and seemed in control. The next phase of the game belonged to Texas' secondary and front.

Offense catching up once the ball stopped leaking

With Smith limited, Arch Manning could work methodically. He led touchdown drives of 15, 13 and 12 plays in the fourth quarter, a sequence ESPN Research said no other winner has matched in the past 15 years. Ryan Wingo's touchdown catch started the rally.

Hollywood Smothers scored twice from the 1-yard line, including the winner with 25 seconds left after Connor Hawkins missed a 45-yard field goal that would have stretched Ohio State's lead again.

Manning completed 11 of his final 15 passes. The AP listed him at 196 yards; ESPN's detailed account had 23-of-37 for 195 yards and 24 yards on the ground.

Day's unfinished finish

Ryan Day told the AP his team had Texas on the ropes and failed to close. Sayin said he had throws that should have been completions once the coverage tightened. Texas improved to 2-0 and hosts UTSA on Sept. 19. Ohio State dropped to 1-1 and hosts Kent State.

For a Longhorns defense that spent the first half chasing Smith across the yard markers, the second-half plan was simple and effective: pressure the quarterback, trust the corners, and give the offense enough possessions to erase a hole that had looked permanent. ## Why one missed kick mattered as much as the coverage

Hawkins had already made three field goals, so the 45-yard miss was not a soft schedule footnote. It flipped field position and possession math with just over four minutes left. Manning told ESPN he felt the shift immediately. Texas used that window to complete the 12-play winning drive instead of chasing from two scores down again.

Sayin's final throw being intercepted kept the celebration from needing overtime. The Buckeyes had controlled yards and tempo for most of the night; the last 15 minutes belonged to Texas' ability to string first downs once Smith was no longer the primary problem.

Sources

ESPN

CBS Sports

ESPN