IOWA CITY -- On the biggest play of Iowa's 13-10 Black Friday win over Nebraska, a 72-yard catch-and-run score that tied the game at 10-all early in the fourth quarter, Kaleb Johnson would not be denied.
"I just told myself, I'm gonna score, I don't care what's in my way," Johnson said after the game.
That single-minded determination to make something happen was necessary because it was apparent after just a few series that this game wasn't going to feature many highlight reel-worthy offensive drives from the team in black and gold. The Hawkeyes went three-and-out on their first four drives and finished the first half with just 20 yards of total offense, one first down, and zero points.
If the Iowa offense was going to make anything happen in the game, it was going to take a moment of magic.
Fortunately, the Hawkeyes have Kaleb Johnson in their backfield and arguably no player in the Big Ten -- and few in college football as a whole -- have produced more moments of magic this season than Johnson, who has a staggering 10 touchdowns of 20+ yards and entered Friday's game with a Big Ten-leading 1,492 rushing yards and 22 total touchdowns, including at least one score in every game this season.
Like the rest of the offense, Johnson was bottled up through three quarters: consistently running into eight- or nine-man fronts left him with no holes to hit and even less room to operate. He had just 14 rushes for 38 yards to that point, and only two runs over 10 yards.
Then, on the first play of the fourth quarter, facing second-and-13 from their own 28-yard line, the Hawkeyes tried something different. Rather than run Johnson into the teeth of the Nebraska defense again, offensive coordinator Tim Lester dialed up a play to get the ball to Johnson in space, a short swing pass to the right side of the field.
The result?
Boom.
One play, 72 yards, a tie game and a sign of life from the Hawkeye offense.
"Green grass, I guess," Johnson said after the game when asked what he saw after catching the ball on his epic catch-and-run. "I looked for a quick second, put my shoulder down, and just kept going. I told myself the team needed me in that moment. I was not gonna let my seniors down. I just said I gotta make a play for the team, I gotta put the team on my back."
Johnson's remarkable touchdown provided a near-perfect encapsulation of the many elite skills that he's showcased this season while terrorizing Big Ten defenses.
The play began with one of Johnson's more recently honed skills: pass-catching. He reached back to haul in Jackson Stratton's swing pass (likely a lateral), a throw he might not have caught reliably in years past.
After the game, Johnson noted that he had been working hard in practice on "coming out of the backfield and catching [the ball]. I work on that every day in practice, you know catching the balls after practice with the receivers."
Next, Johnson showcased his physicality, another welcome development under RBs coach Ladell Betts. Johnson easily shrugged off a weak leg tackle attempt by a semi-blocked Husker defender, before delivering a punishing stiff-arm to Nebraska linebacker John Bullock and bouncing off hits from three other Husker defenders.
Johnson also got some assistance in the form of a block from Iowa receiver Dayton Howard on the outside -- which did not go unnoticed by Johnson.
"It's not just me that just won, it was the defense, it was the o-line, it was Dayton on that play, helped me score, did a good block," said Johnson after the game.
Then, at midfield, Johnson showed off the elite quickness and smooth change-of-direction ability that has made him one of the most lethal backs in college football, juking back to the middle of the field and leaving one last Husker grasping at empty air.
The final part of the touchdown allowed Johnson to show off the last component of his brilliant skill set: high-end speed in the open field. As he cut back into the middle of the field, his trademark long striding running gait came to the fore and he was able to glide into the end zone, amid the press box-shaking bedlam of Kinnick Stadium.
Johnson agreed that the touchdown was an impressive example of his full skill set.
"Coach Betts always tells me to always finish and always use my size, my strength, and my speed," said Johnson. "That [play] right there showed me what I can do and how strong I am."
Johnson's incredible play left teammates and coaches awestruck as well.
"Kaleb made a Heisman play. He should be on that ballot," said Iowa linebacker Jay Higgins. "I think you're looking at Kaleb's biggest fans. We're big on Kaleb, we're high on Kaleb. I think he's top 10 off the board, if you ask me."
"What he's doing -- in the Big Ten -- that's all I'm saying," added fellow linebacker Nick Jackson added.
"Numbers don't lie," said Higgins.
Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz was effusive in his praise of Johnson and the touchdown as well.
"It all goes back to the older guys, our best guys, our experienced guys doing a great job," said Ferentz. "No better illustration there than the play Kaleb made to put us back in the ball game. You can't explain that play, just a phenomenal effort. A lot of good things to get him started, the guys outside did a good job blocking, what a fantastic individual effort."
The singular nature of the play drew a comparison to another incredible individual effort play -- albeit a play with one notable difference.
"That play he made tonight, it was like [Cooper] DeJean's play -- except this one counted," Ferentz joked.
"We got the points on the board. What a phenomenal effort, same thing with Cooper's [play] last year. To see that part of it is gratifying and [I'm] so happy for him and his success, so appreciative."
Johnson, who said a few times that he thought he would "probably" play in Iowa's bowl game, doesn't take a play like that for granted, either, given the ups and downs he's experienced in his Iowa career.
"It will be a memory for sure. It's very awesome," Johnson said after the game.
"Me doing that, just coming off of last year, and having a little downfall year, that really opened my eyes last year not to take things for granted. Because everything can be gone in a click of a second, [it taught me] to always play hard and give it your all like it's your last. Just having that mindset separated me and [I] went out there and played well. [I] just give respect to my team, and my o-line, and Coach Ferentz, and especially Coach Betts for believing in me."
