Jaxon Smith-Njigba's return from a hamstring injury was cut short in the second quarter on Saturday, but Ryan Day claims the decision to pull the star receiver was always a part of the plan.
According to Day, Smith-Njigba was on a "pitch count" against Iowa, leading to his early exit from the Buckeyes' 54-10 win over the Hawkeyes. The third-year wideout made his debut in the contest after a four-game absence and started in the slot for Ohio State. But he abruptly left the game after appearing to tweak his leg on a downfield route midway through the second frame.
Before the following Ohio State possession, Smith-Njigba met with members of the program's training staff, stretched and even jogged down the sideline. However, he did not return to the game at any point after that.
During his postgame press conference, Day said his star receiver was only scheduled to play approximately 20 plays against the Hawkeyes. The coaching staff believed he was near that mark when Smith-Njigba was held out of the game from the second quarter and beyond.
"Once he got to a certain number, we shut him down," Day said. "That was it."
Smith-Njigba recorded only one reception for seven yards on Saturday, a far cry from the numbers the Buckeyes had become accustomed to during his breakout season as a sophomore in 2021. When asked about his performance, Day kept his comments brief.
"I think we will be able to evaluate it and watch the film and see," Day said.
- #2 Ohio State 54, Iowa 10
- • Buckeyes Crush Hawkeyes, 54-10
- • Big Plays on D Doom Dreadful Iowa Offense
- • Dominance Despite Some Offensive Struggles
- • JSN's "Pitch Count" Caused Early Iowa Exit
- • Ohio State Postgame • Notebook • Quotebook • Debriefing
- • Iowa Postgame • TBDBITL • Social Reax • 3 Key Stats • Five Things
