COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Ohio State Buckeyes beat the Akron Zips 52-6 in the 2024 season opener. Buckeyes quarterback Will Howard made his debut as a Buckeye after transferring from Kansas State. Head coach Ryan Day was pleased with Howard’s first performance.

What You Need To Know

  • The Ohio State Buckeyes opened their season with a 52-6 win over the Akron Zips 

  • Buckeyes QB Will Howard played in his first game for OSU after transferring from Kansas State

  • Freshman wide receiver Jeremiah Smith caught two touchdown passes in his first collegiate game

“I thought that he had pretty good poise the whole day,” Day said.

Howard threw his first touchdown pass of the season to freshman Jeremiah Smith. The wide receiver ended up having two touchdowns in his first collegiate game. He also added six receptions for 92 yards. Day said that Smith is just built different.

“You can see the talent and we’re going to play right through just about all of it. Sometimes you look at him and think he’s not quite human, but he is,” Day said.

Smith expressed the way it felt playing in Ohio Stadium for the first time.

“Being out here on the field, playing and getting the full experience of walking out that tunnel is something I’ll never forget,” Smith said.

Smith became the first Ohio State freshman to catch two touchdown passes in a season opener since 1996.

They were the kind of catches Buckeyes fans got used to seeing from Marvin Harrison Jr., the Ohio State star selected fourth overall by the Arizona Cardinals in the NFL draft in April.

Now everybody is talking about Smith and what he might be able to do next.

“Pressure? No, I don’t really feel pressure,” he said. “I just want to go out there and play football and win games. I mean, I know all the hype around me was crazy coming in. I just wanted to come in and be a guy (who’s) coming in to work. Just not be about all hype.”

Ohio State receiver Jeremiah Smith, right, catches a pass in front of Akron defensive back Daymon David, left, during the second half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024, in Columbus, Ohio. (AP Photo/Jay LaPrete)

The Buckeyes did come away with the win, but Day explained that there’s still work to be done.

“I thought we played hard. I thought we got in a rhythm in the second half, played looser, played aggressive. I felt we were a little uptight early on and pressed early on. That’s kind of how I feel, but again we’ll take a look at film and go from there,” Day said.

Day said the team will get some sleep and then get right back at it tomorrow. Game two is next week at Ohio Stadium against Western Michigan.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.