Jeremiah Smith had a 19-yard touchdown run and made a one-handed, 17-yard catch for a score in the second quarter, helping No. 3 Ohio State pull away and rout host Michigan State 38-7 Saturday night.

The Buckeyes (4-0, 1-0 Big Ten) were in a closely contested game until their freshman phenom took over.

The Spartans (3-2, 1-1) lost the football three times in the red zone in the first half to hurt their chances of hanging around.

Smith’s speed allowed him to go untouched on an end-around midway through the second quarter. His skill set him up to leap and snag Devin Brown’s pass with his right hand — three plays after needing only one hand to make a 27-yard catch — to put Ohio State ahead 24-7 in the final minute of the first half.

The country’s top-rated recruit, who is from Miami Gardens, Florida, finished with five receptions for 83 yards.

Smith has lived up to the billing.

He became the first freshman to catch two touchdown passes in a season opener with a program that has a rich tradition at receiver and had 14 catches for 281 yards and four touchdowns over the first three games.

NO. 9 PENN STATE 21, NO. 19 ILLINOIS 7 >> Nick Singleton ran for 102 yards and a touchdown, Kaytron Allen added 94 yards and a score and the host Nittany Lions pulled away in the second half to beat the Illini.

Penn State (4-0, 1-0 Big Ten) took a 14-7 lead on Singleton’s 4-yard touchdown run on its opening second-half possession. The Nittany Lions then went into lockdown mode.

Penn State forced four punts, recovered a fumble and A.J. Harris intercepted Luke Altmyer’s pass late in the fourth quarter.

After scoring easily on their opening drive, the Illini (4-1, 1-1) managed just 25 rushing yards the rest of the way.

NO. 12 MICHIGAN 27, MINNESOTA 24 >> Kalel Mullings rushed for 111 yards and two touchdowns as the host Wolverines held on to the Little Brown Jug with a win in the rain against the Gophers.

Michigan led 24-3 going into the fourth quarter, but Minnesota scored three touchdowns to pull within 27-24 with 1:37 left.

The Gophers recovered the onside kick but were flagged for offsides. Mullings grabbed the second kick, allowing the Wolverines to run out the clock.

The Wolverines (4-1, 2-0 Big Ten) extended their school-record conference winning streak to 27 games.

Minnesota (2-3, 0-2) hoped to win the Little Brown Jug for the first time in a decade and only the third time in the 21st century.

INDIANA 42, MARYLAND 28 >> Kurtis Rourke threw for a season-high 359 yards and three touchdowns and the host Hoosiers defense shut down the Terrapins for the final 22 minutes, pulling away for a victory.

Indiana (5-0, 2-0 Big Ten) is off to its best start since 1967 and is unbeaten through its first five games for the third time in school history.

Maryland (3-2, 0-2) suffered its first loss to the Hoosiers since 2020 despite getting three TD passes from Billy Edwards Jr.

NEBRASKA 28, PURDUE 10 >> Dylan Raiola threw for 257 yards and a touchdown to lead the visiting Cornhuskers (4-1, 1-1) to a victory over the Boilermakes (1-4, 0-1) in a Big Ten Conference game.