EAST LANSING, Mich. – Devin Smith broke behind the secondary and caught a fly route for a touchdown to help lead Ohio State to a program-defining win at Michigan State.

It's a testament to Smith that the above statement isn't enough information for you to know what year it was.

But there are differences. Big enough, actually, for Urban Meyer to say he thought Smith played the best game of his career in Ohio State's 49-37 win over the Spartans on Saturday night.

"Devin Smith, that's his best game that we've had in the past three years," Meyer said. "He's one of the best, if not the best, deep ball players we've ever had."

In 2012, Smith caught a 63-yard touchdown pass late in the third quarter in Ohio State's 17-16 win over the Spartans in East Lansing. Meyer refers to that game two years later as the game that helped his program turn a corner.

On Saturday, Smith caught a 44-yard touchdown pass from quarterback J.T. Barrett right before halftime as the Buckeyes stormed back to take control of the game on the road. Unlike the 2012 game when he finished with only two receptions, Smith was all over the field all night Saturday.

Smith, who caught two passes in the first three offensive plays, finished with six receptions for 129 yards and the touchdown. He also caught a 43-yard pass on 3rd-and-23 along the sideline to keep an Ohio State touchdown drive alive.

"No disrespect to their team," Smith said of Michigan State, "but I felt all night they couldn't hang with us. I told Coach that all night."

Devin Smith pulls in a 44-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter of Ohio State's 49-37 win over Michigan State on Saturday night in East Lansing.

Smith seemingly played with a new type of aggression. Perhaps he's getting tired of being referred to as a one-dimensional player, one who can only by cornerbacks and score touchdowns on deep routes.

He has 22 receptions this season, and eight of them have been for touchdowns. Smith likes that ratio, but he wants to be used more in the offense, perhaps be more utilized for intermediate gains.

It hasn't been easy for Smith this year as roles for players like Dontre Wilson, Jalin Marshall, Mike Thomas and Evan Spencer have expanded. Smith didn't lose his starting spot, but his chances to be a difference maker have certainly diminished.

Smith admitted after Ohio State's win at Maryland that his senior season hasn't gone the way he envisioned it. It has been tough.

"It is, especially because you want to go out with a bang. You want everybody to remember who you are," Smith said. "That's one thing I'm trying to do. I'm trying to leave here, not as the best receiver, but I want everyone to know this guy, Devin Smith, he gave it his all every time he came out on the field."

Perhaps he's on his way to achieving that goal, but there has to be more games like the one he had vs. Michigan State. It was only the second time this year he caught more than three receptions, and the only time he hauled in more than five.

"It is frustrating to not be able to touch the ball sometimes, but I know we have a lot of other players who are going to make a play," Smith said. "No matter what it is, whether it is catching a pass or blocking, I am going to do my job and when my opportunity comes, I am going to make it."