Kaleb Johnson cements legacy with Iowa after stellar performance

IOWA CITY, Ia. — The Hawkeyes’ star running back put together a memorable outing at Kinnick Stadium Friday night, and was a big reason why they won the Heroes Game.

Kaleb Johnson took advantage of the spotlight in front of a crowd of 69,250, and the Doak Walker Award finalist delivered in the clutch. Although he didn’t eclipse the century mark in rushing yards against Nebraska, Johnson made the necessary plays for Iowa to storm back and win the game 13-10.

However, the Blackshirts didn’t make anything easy for Johnson, and he had to hustle hard for every yard. The big bruiser showed off his versatility, with the way he ran the ball, blocked and caught passes out of the backfield. Nebraska’s defense kept Johnson contained in the first half though, and he only generated 11 yards on the ground.

Iowa went scoreless in the first half too, but that didn’t stop Johnson from believing in himself and his teammates. The Ohio native knew they were in for a dogfight, and came out with more urgency in the second half. The Blackshirts stacked the box to stop the run, so the Hawkeyes had to make adjustments, and they used Johnson at the right time out of the backfield. And it worked out perfectly.

At the start of the fourth quarter, quarterback Jackson Stratton connected with Johnson, and he took care of the rest. The six-foot, 225-pounder raised several eyebrows as he broke five tackles, and ran the ball 72 yard to the house. Johnson tied the game up with his heroics, ignited the crowd and executed the most explosive play of the night. Which is why Johnson gives praise to his coaches, especially LaDell Betts, for putting him in the right spot to be successful.

“Coach Betts tells me to always finish, always use my size, strength and speed, so that right there showed me what I can do and how strong I am,” Johnson said. “It motivated me even more for the future to keep my feet strong, and to run hard all the time.”

The Hawkeyes played complimentary football in the second half. The defense forced turnovers, and held Nebraska scoreless for the final 30 minutes. Drew Stevens put the finishing touches on a freezing, low-scoring, affair with a 53-yard, walk-off field goal.

Johnson was happy that Stevens got to be the hero, because he loves seeing his teammates shine, and couldn’t think of a better way to end the contest. Once the smoke cleared, Iowa (8-4) finished with a season-low, 164 yards of total offense, and still came out victorious.

After the game, Johnson was very emotional as he celebrated with his teammates and the Heroes Trophy. Johnson even had tears in his eyes. The 21-year old soaked it all in before he exited to the locker room, and the fans chanted his name on the way out. At that point, everyone knew it was going to be Johnson’s final game at the venue. So he wanted to leave a lasting impression on the seniors, and Hawkeye Nation.

“I told myself during team meetings in that moment that I would never let my seniors down, so I knew I had to play for my team, and put the team on my back,” he said. “I did that, the defense played well, Drew came through with the clutch kick and we won the game.”

Johnson clearly cemented his legacy with the program, the way he posted a campaign for the ages. After all, he became the only Hawkeye to score a touchdown in every game of the regular season. Johnson currently leads the Big Ten, and is fourth in the FBS in rushing yards through 12 games. The junior also leads the conference, and is fourth nationally in scoring. He’ll likely take home some national hardware over the next two weeks, and deserves everything that’s coming to him.

Johnson really has nothing left to prove as the Hawkeyes await their bowl destination, and should shift his focus towards preparing for the 2025 NFL Draft. Regardless, he’s proud to get one last win with his teammates in the black and yellow, and carve his name in Hawkeye lore. It’s something that Johnson is going to remember forever, and now Iowa fans have plenty to brag about until next Black Friday.

“I was so happy with my team, so happy with my o-line for blocking for me, the fans were there even when it was 14 degrees, but it was an unreal moment for me and I took all of that all into consideration.”