One of the biggest storylines of the 2024 season for Iowa has been the emergence of Kaleb Johnson as one of the best running backs not just in the Big Ten but in the entire NCAA. Through six games, Johnson ranks second in the nation in rushing yards with 937, behind only the superlative-defying Ashton Jeanty of Boise State (who has 1,248). He leads all Big Ten rushers by almost 200 yards (Kyle Monangai of Rutgers is second with 739 yards).
In fact, Johnson's dazzling start to the season has drawn frequent comparisons to the last Iowa running back who took college football by storm: Shonn Greene, who smashed defenses on a weekly basis in 2008 on his way to setting school records in rushing yards (1,850) and touchdowns (20). But to catch up to Greene's remarkable records, Johnson will really have to earn it and continue producing top-tier results against some stout run defenses.
First, let's look at at the tale of the tape -- how does Kaleb Johnson's 2024 season compare to Shonn Greene's legendary 2008 campaign so far?
The most remarkable thing about Greene's 2008 campaign was its metronome-like consistency: Greene ran for 100 yards or more, week after week, without fail. That's truly incredible consistency and gave Greene the platform to put together such a memorable season. 16 years later, that consistency is what still stands out the most to Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz as well.
"I'll tell you exactly what I told him a couple of weeks ago," Ferentz said after Iowa's win over Washington on Saturday.
"I said, 'It's awesome what you are doing. So proud of you, and all of us are.' Again, he's not just playing good. He's practicing well. He's just been so wired in. I pointed out to him, Shonn Greene did it week after week after week 12 times. The only guy in the country to do it that year.'"
Johnson hasn't racked up at least 100 yards in every game this season -- Ohio State held him to 86 yards two weeks ago -- but that's the only blemish on his season so far.
Despite that, through six games Johnson is actually ahead of the pace that Green had set at the halfway point of his 2008 season -- in fact, Johnson isn't just ahead of that pace, he's blowing it out of the water with 115 yards more than Greene had through six games.
Greene ran for a little over 1,000 yards in Iowa's final seven games in 2008, helped tremendously by a pair of 200+ yard rushing performances against Wisconsin (217) and Purdue (211). Johnson already has one 200+ yard rushing performance of his own this season, with 206 against Minnesota last month.
Six games into the season, Johnson is a little over halfway to Greene's team record of 1,850 yards. If he can maintain his current pace of 156.2 yards per game, he would run for another 937 yards this season and finish with 1,874, edging Greene's record -- and doing it in 12 games instead of the 13 Greene used, no less.
Johnson is also well ahead of Green's school-record touchdown total at this point in the season. Greene had just five touchdowns after six games, then erupted for 15 touchdowns in his final seven contests, including nine in Iowa's final four games. Johnson already has 12 touchdowns at the midpoint of the season, with at least two scores in every game except the Ohio State showdown. If he can maintain his current pace, he'll blow past Greene's mark.
There could be tougher sledding ahead for Johnson and the Iowa run game, though, based on the rush defense stats for Iowa's remaining six regular season opponents.
In the first half of the season, Johnson faced only one run defense that ranked better than 52nd nationally -- Ohio State, currently ranked 8th nationally. In the second half of the season, Johnson is set to face only two defenses that rank worse than 52nd nationally (Michigan State and Wisconsin) and three defenses that are in the top 13 nationally (Northwestern, UCLA, and Nebraska).
Those averages and rankings don't mean that Johnson's can't have success against those defenses, but it's fair to note that the competition he's facing in terms of run-stopping defenses is going to be tougher over the next six games. Johnson has been the top item on defensive gameplans against Iowa since the first game of the season, but the emphasis opposing defenses put on trying to stop him (or at least slow him down) is only going to increase after his molten-hot start to the season.
If Johnson is going to stay atop the Big Ten rushing charts and continue his push to challenge Greene's all-time great 2008 season, he's going to need to keep performing at the high level he's shown through the first month and a half of the 2024 season -- and he'll need to do it against some defenses that are stingy against the run. If Johnson tops Greene's record, he'll absolutely have earned it.
