On Saturday, Kaleb Johnson ran over, around, and through the Minnesota defense as he led Iowa to a 31-14 victory over the Gophers. His spectacular performance firmly inserted him into the early season Heisman Trophy discussion. And on Monday, Johnson's efforts got recognized by the Big Ten Conference, as he was named Co-Offensive Player of the Week.
Johnson shares Offensive Player of the Week honors with Illinois QB Luke Altmyer, who went 21-of-27 for 236 yards and four touchdowns as he led the Illini to an overtime win over Nebraska.
Against Minnesota, Johnson exceeded the notable highs he'd already hit this season on the football field, exploding for career highs in rushing yards (206) and touchdowns (3). His 206-yard effort kept him firmly atop the national rushing charts, as his total of 685 yards through four games is 99 yards better than the running back with the next-mot yards, Boise State's Ashton Jeanty (though Jeanty has only played three games so far this season).
Johnson has been piling up yards thanks to his penchant for explosive runs; his yards per carry average of 8.4 yards per carry is significantly better than any other running back with at least 60 carries this season. Johnson also has 12 runs of 20+ yards so far this season; no other running back has more than seven such runs.
The end zone has also been a familiar destination for Johnson through the first month of the season; his three scores on Saturday night gave him nine for the season. Only Tennessee RB Dylan Sampson has more touchdowns this season, with 10. Johnson's nine touchdowns in four games is the most for an Iowa running back since Tavian Banks started the season with 12 touchdowns in four games in 1997.
He's on the sort of run that not many other Big Ten running backs have been able to match in the last decade.
The Minnesota game proved to be an impressive showcase of all the attributes that have made Johnson such an unstoppable running back this season. He's found the correct balance between patience and decisiveness when it comes to hitting the holes opened for him by the offensive line.
He has the strength to shrug off would-be tackle attempts, as well as the agility and shiftiness to elude many potential tacklers. And his ability to accelerate rapidly when he gets into the open field has been a key factor in all of those 20+ yard runs. All of those skills are on full display in the highlights from the Minnesota game:
Johnson is the first Iowa player to earn Big Ten Player of the Week honors in the 2024 season. He's also the first Iowa player to win Offensive Player of the Week honors since... Johnson himself did it back in 2022, when he ran for 200 yards and a touchdown against Purdue.
Iowa is on bye this week. Johnson's next test will be his biggest yet, as Iowa heads to Columbus, OH to face #3 Ohio State on Saturday, October 5, 2024 (2:30 PM CT, CBS). If Johnson can continue his streaks of rushing for 100+ yards and scoring multiple touchdowns against the Buckeyes, the hype train will hit all new levels.
