Kirk Ferentz valuing Kaleb Johnson’s production in Iowa’s backfield

IOWA CITY, Ia. — The junior running back is off to a hot start, and his head coach believes the best is yet to come as the Hawkeyes approach game three.

Kaleb Johnson is a big bruiser, who uses his six-foot, 225-pound frame to punish would-be tacklers. His blend of speed and power gives Iowa’s offense options in the backfield. Coach Kirk Ferentz feels Johnson is starting to separate himself from the other rushers as the Hawkeyes navigate through their schedule.

After all, Johnson recorded a monster performance against Iowa State, in which he rushed for a game-high, 187 yards and two touchdowns. The Ohio native had several explosive plays throughout the afternoon, including a 54-yard run. Ferentz is glad to see his running back fully healthy, and having success on the gridiron.

“He’s played well for us the last two years, but he’s playing at a much higher level right now, Ferentz said. “Part of it is maturity, his focus is better and he’s practicing better.”

Johnson is averaging 153 rushing yards per game, which currently ranks second in the Big Ten, and fourth in the FBS. Not to mention Johnson has workhorse capabilities, and gets stronger with every carry. The fans wanted him to carry the ball more in the second half against the Cyclones, especially since the Hawkeyes were up by 13 points to start the third quarter.

However, quarterback Cade McNamara was ineffective with his throws, and in return Iowa State’s defense loaded up the box to stop Johnson. That frustrated Ferentz at times, so now he wants to make adjustments on the fly, and find different ways to get Johnson’s hands on the ball.

“He runs the football, worked hard to get better, and it’s showing out there on the field,” he said. “He made some really nice plays, and that’s one thing to be encouraged by.”

Although the Hawkeyes were abysmal on offense in the second half, and couldn’t execute consistently, Ferentz wants Johnson to build off his stellar outing. There’s depth in the running back room too, including last year’s leading rusher Leshon Williams, so Ferentz should be able to keep Johnson fresh.

Offensive Coordinator Tim Lester needs to utilize Johnson’s soft hands, and get him more involved in Iowa’s aerial attack. Johnson has shown the ability to be slippery out in space, and if Lester can draw up some more screen passes, and put Johnson out in motion pre-snap, the offense should be able to make defenses pay for blitzing.

It’s no mystery that practice is going to be intense this week after a nail-biting loss. Regardless, Ferentz knows the ground game is going to be a team strength because of Johnson’s contribution. Most importantly, he’s a key piece to build the offense around heading into Iowa’s matchup against Troy.

“I think there’s a lot to be encouraged about, now we have to pull it all together and get it to mesh and gel.