MINNEAPOLIS — Running back Shonn Greene became a household name for the Iowa football team during the 2008 season, racking up 1,850 yards on the ground, earning the Doak Walker Award as best running back in the country, and setting the program record for most rushing yards in a single season. 

Hawkeye fans weren’t sure they would ever witness another back capable of achieving the same statistics, but Kaleb Johnson is on pace to do just that in 2024. 

Johnson tallied 479 rushing yards and six touchdowns to begin the season, but he saved his best performance for Saturday’s Big Ten opener on the road at rival Minnesota, recording three touchdowns and a career-high 206 yards on 21 carries. The Hawkeyes won the game, 31-14, taking home the Floyd of Rosedale trophy for the ninth time in 10 seasons. 

“I’m not sure I remember anybody in four games doing what he’s done,” head coach Kirk Ferentz said postgame. “He just continues to run really well, and he’s been really aggressive.” 

“It feels great [to get Floyd of Rosedale]” Johnson said after the game. “I took this very personal and put the team on my back.” 

Iowa began the game slowly on offense, but an interception by linebacker Jay Higgins gave the Hawkeyes the ball inside Minnesota territory. Four plays later, Johnson escaped a sea of Gopher defenders and scampered down the far sideline into the end zone for a touchdown, but the referees ruled that he stepped out at the one-yard line. 

The call was merely academic, as Johnson plowed straight up the middle for an easy touchdown to give Iowa an early 7-0 lead. 

“I just remember not seeing anything. It was all clogged up,” Johnson said. “They [the referees] said I was at the one, so I finished it off.” 

Following the early score, the Iowa offense struggled to move the ball, totaling only 107 total yards of offense in the first half, and trailed, 14-7, heading into the locker room. Johnson reflected on the halftime speeches he shared with his teammates. 

“We just said, ‘We have to win this, we have to come on top,’” Johnson said. “We just all put our heads up and kept moving forward.” 

The Hawkeyes got the ball coming out of the break and completely flipped the script due to a remarkable effort from Johnson, who racked up two touchdowns

The first touchdown came on the opening drive of the second half. After a 20-yard pass from quarterback Cade McNamara to tight end Addison Ostrenga, it was Johnson’s turn. His first carry was a 17-yard sprint down the sideline, where he was then whacked out of bounds, drawing a penalty. 

After not gaining a yard on the next two plays, offensive coordinator Tim Lester dialed up a draw play for Johnson on third-and-10. Johnson responded by bouncing the run to the outside for a walk-in touchdown to tie the game. 

“I was too anxious with all of the adrenaline, but I just wanted to get the run in. Stuff happened,” Johnson said. 

From there, the Hawkeyes dominated. 

The defense forced a quick stop, and the offense responded with a methodical drive aided by a clutch third-down completion from McNamara to true freshman wideout Reece Vander Zee. 

Johnson closed the drive with a 40-yard touchdown run, marking his longest carry of the day and arguably his most impressive. He wiggled through a small hole and found a gap in the secondary, finishing off the run by narrowly avoiding a shoestring tackle at the 10-yard line. 

“The feel of the game, you understand big plays and momentum,” Iowa linebacker Jay Higgins said of Johnson.“Watching him, seeing him run slow, and then the sea just opens up and he keeps running.”

The play gave the Hawkeyes a 21-14 edge, a lead which they wouldn’t relinquish. 

For Johnson, holes don’t just open up in the backfield without help. He credited his offensive line for parting the sea and allowing him to have the success he’s had all season. 

“They [the offensive line] have been working their butts off, putting defensive linemen on their backs,” Johnson said. “I just want to give credit to my whole line.” 

And the front five who protect Johnson feel nothing but awe in watching how the third-year back from Hamilton, Ohio, has become one of – if not the – best running backs in the nation. For Iowa left tackle Mason Richman, Johnson does talk trash a bit too much, but has certainly earned the right to talk the talk. After all, not many can say they are on track to make history. 

“Getting him back to the huddle, getting him ready for the next play,” the lineman said with a smile. “He’s awesome, he’s an energy bunny in there He’s just been on a heck of a run right now.”