Iowa's Kaleb Johnson Explodes In Win Over Wisconsin

Iowa Hawkeyes running back Kaleb Johnson put forth yet another masterful showing in his team's win over the Wisconsin Badgers.

Iowa Hawkeyes running back Kaleb Johnson. / Savannah Blake-The Gazette

The Iowa Hawkeyes routed the Wisconsin Badgers by a score of 42-10 on Saturday night for their second straight impressive win, and not surprisingly, running back Kaleb Johnson was the engine that made things go.

Johnson carried the ball 25 times for 134 yards and three touchdowns, setting the stage for a brilliant performance from Iowa's offense.

Well, at least on the ground.

The Hawkeyes racked up 329 rushing yards on the evening, with quarterback Brendan Sullivan—who was making his first start of the season—chipping in with 58 yards and a score himself.

Then there was backup running back Jaziun Patterson, who totaled 56 rushing yards and a touchdown on 10 attempts. Kamari Moulton toted the rock nine times for 74 yards.

Talk about a balanced effort from the Hawkeyes' ground game.

But it was truly Johnson's night, as he propelled an Iowa offense that clearly lacks elite talent at every other skill position.

Iowa actually got off to a slow start, failing to register a point in the first quarter as it fell behind 3-0. However, an interception by defensive back Deshaun Lee set the stage for the Hawkeyes' first score of the night, and it was all smooth sailing from there for Iowa.

Iowa held Wisconsin to just 261 yards of total offense, forcing the Badgers to go 2-for-11 on third downs and turning them over twice.

The Hawkeyes also averaged 6.6 yards per play to Wisconsin's 4.4.

Iowa improved to 6-3 with the resounding victory and will head on the road to battle the UCLA Bruins next Friday.