Jeremiah Smith was tripped up.
He was running a slant route over the middle when contact by a cornerback caused him to tumble to the grass. As he fell to his knees, he pulled in a pass for 8 yards.
It was a circus catch made by Smith, but the sequence from Ohio State’s win at Purdue last November stood out for another reason 11 months later.
Officials flagged Hudauri Hines for pass interference, the last one Smith has drawn. Ten games have passed, nearly an entire regular season’s worth.
The lack of penalties might be surprising if only because Smith commands significant attention from opponents, including double- and triple-teams that can leave
him draped by defensive backs while moving downfield.
But Buckeyes coach Ryan Day suggested this week that Smith’s physical gifts are also a factor.
Smith, who is widely viewed as college football’s most dominant wide receiver, often withstands bumps in coverage as an explosive 6-foot-4, 222-pound target.
“When you’re that big and that strong, a foul doesn’t look the same,” Day said, “so there are plays that I question and contend that are PI and holding. It needs to be recognized. When you’re that big of a player, it’s still a foul, whether you push through it because you have strength and size. He’s obviously very unique.”
The contact has done little to slow down Smith as he has emerged this year as the leading favorite for the Heisman Trophy, which goes to the sport’s most outstanding player.
Smith leads the Football Bowl Subdivision in all major receiving categories with 44 receptions for 823 yards and nine touchdowns.
Since the start of Big Ten play, he’s been on a tear, reeling off consecutive 200-yard receiving games against Illinois and Iowa. The combination of 23 catches for 423 yards and six touchdowns in the Buckeyes’ wins has allowed him to rewrite the school's career receiving records.
But Day stressed that Smith’s physical advantages shouldn’t keep him from getting calls.
“It's something that they need to look at,” Day said, “and make sure that they're officiating the right way.”
Joey Kaufman covers Ohio State football for The Columbus Dispatch. Email him at jkaufman@dispatch.com and follow him on @joeyrkaufman on X.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Is Jeremiah Smith's strength keeping him from drawing pass interference?
