Iowa WR Brandon Smith: 'I'm going to come down with the ball' in one-on-one matchups
Senior receiver Brandon Smith is as confident as he’s ever been at Iowa.
Smith is coming off back-to-back games with a touchdown catch and feels like — more often than not — he could win a one-on-one battle with any Big Ten defensive back.
“It’s my fourth year out here and I’m honestly confident enough to say that I feel like I’m a dangerous receiver and in one-on-one matchups, more times than not, I’m going to come down with the ball,” Smith told reporters on Tuesday.
Asked Brandon Smith if any Big Ten DB could cover him one-on-one. He said: “It’s my fourth year out here and I’m honestly confident enough to say that I feel like I’m a dangerous receiver and in one-on-one matchups, more times than not, I’m going to come down with the ball."
— MarkEmmert (@MarkEmmert) November 10, 2020
Smith has proven his worth in one-on-one battles over the years. Here’s a couple catches from 2019 that illustrate that ability:
Brandon Smith with an amazing touchdown catch for Iowa. pic.twitter.com/ey6DmDhXHP
— Josh Harvey (@JoshHarvey247) October 13, 2019
Brandon Smith Iowa on 3rd and 22 …. HUGE!!!!! pic.twitter.com/MJsPKRW0AI
— Hawkeye Football Fan (@HawkeyeFanHQ) October 5, 2019
And here’s another one-on-one grab against Michigan State in Week 3:
Spencer Petras lobs one up to Brandon Smith for a TD to extend the Iowa (-5.5) lead to 14-0#BarstoolSportsbook
— Bet The Pigskin (@betthepigskin) November 7, 2020
Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz has been impressed by Smith this season.
“We thought Brandon had a chance to grow into a good player in the Big Ten, and he has,” Ferentz said at his weekly press conference on Tuesday. “We are going to enjoy having him the next six games and hopefully he’ll help lead us to some good things.”
🗣 KF: "We thought Brandon (Smith) had a chance to grow into a good player in the Big Ten, and he has. We are going to enjoy having him the next six games and hopefully he'll help lead us to some good things." #Hawkeyes
— HawkeyeFBNotes (@HawkeyeFBNotes) November 10, 2020
On the season, Smith has nine catches for 88 yards and two touchdowns while quarterback Spencer Petras settles into the offense. Last season, he caught 37 passes for 439 yards and five touchdowns in only eight games.
Smith and the Hawkeyes will be back on the field on Friday night vs. Minnesota.