WATCH: Iowa RB Kaleb Johnson Bullies Past Northwestern For TD

Iowa Hawkeyes running back Kaleb Johnson scored a punishing touchdown against the Northwestern Wildcats.

Oct 12, 2024; Iowa City, Iowa, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes running back Kaleb Johnson (2) runs for a 17 yard touchdown run during the second quarter against the Washington Huskies at Kinnick Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images / Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

The Iowa Hawkeyes certainly did not have an impressive offensive first half against the Northwestern Wildcats, but at least running back Kaleb Johnson gave them the lead heading into the locker room.

Just before the second quarter ended, Johnson carried the ball 27 yards for a touchdown, bullying his way past multiple Northwestern defenders on his way to the end zone.

Check out the spin move toward the end.

Kaleb Johnson bullies his way into the endzone pic.twitter.com/SldQSEGj4T

— Heavens! (@HeavensFX) October 26, 2024

It actually was a rather poor first half for Johnson overall, as 27 of his 30 rushing yards came on that one carry alone.

He touched the ball nine times over the first 30 minutes, getting eight carries and also logging a four-yard catch.

Johnson went into the matchup with the Wildcats leading the Big Ten with 1,035 yards and 13 touchdowns on the ground, averaging a robust 7.8 yards per attempt. He has also caught 16 passes for 102 yards and a score.

It has certainly been a breakout campaign for Johnson, who arrived at Iowa back in 2022 and was a relative unknown until this year.

The 21-year-old put forth a decent showing during his freshman season, registering 779 yards and six touchdowns as a rusher, posting 5.2 yards per attempt.

Then, last year, Johnson took a step back, finishing with just 463 yards and three scores on a pedestrian four yards per tote.

Johnson was actually expected to share the backfield with Kamari Moulton and others heading into 2024, but he has obviously established himself as the Hawkeyes' top running back and one of the best halfbacks in the nation, period.