How Iowa football has reinvigorated its run-first identity in 2024

IOWA CITY — Iowa football’s win last month over Minnesota was a dream for anyone with a fondness for running the ball.

The Hawkeyes called 40 designed runs versus 20 passing plays and had almost as many rushing yards (272) as Minnesota had total yards (288).

“Just for the record, I’m all for balanced offense, too,” Iowa Coach Kirk Ferentz said after the win.

As much as some offensive balance would be helpful moving forward, simply the fact Iowa can experience that much success on the ground in Big Ten play is an encouraging sign.

The Hawkeyes rank 10th across the FBS with 250.3 rushing yards per game and 12th nationally with 5.96 yards per carry. Both marks are second-best in the Big Ten.

“We're four games into it, so we're not ready to have a parade quite yet,” Ferentz said.

It sure is far better than the Hawkeyes were at this point last year, though. After their fourth game, they were 104th in the country with 118.5 rushing yards per game and 95th in the country with 3.79 yards per carry.

There were encouraging moments for the run game last year, including when Iowa rushed for 200 yards against Wisconsin and 181 against Purdue. But in Iowa’s two losses, they rushed for a combined 31 yards — 20 against Penn State and 11 against Minnesota.

Johnson’s breakthrough

The reemergence of Kaleb Johnson has been a critical aspect of Iowa’s revitalized rushing attack in 2024.

Johnson, in a season partially hampered by an injury, rushed for 463 yards on 117 carries (4.0 yards per carry) in 2023. One-third of the way through the 2024 season, he already has surpassed last year’s yardage total.

He already has 685 yards on 82 carries, translating to an uber-efficient 8.4 yards per carry. His 171.3 rushing yards per game is second only to Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty.

Johnson is a “special athlete the moment you meet him,” new offensive coordinator Tim Lester said.

“The combination of size and speed and balance and physicality is rare,” Lester said.

So what’s different for Johnson in 2024 versus 2022 and 2023? Johnson, Ferentz said, is “focused and motivated.”

“I'm not saying he wasn't motivated before, but I think he's really focused on the right things now, and it's showing up in his performance,” Ferentz said.

Lester cannot recall a day of practice where Johnson is “not going 100 miles an hour.”

“So It’s fun to watch a guy who’s been so focused on learning this system and what to do, watch him get to where he needs to be,” Lester said.

Johnson is averaging an otherworldly 5.6 yards after contact per carry, according to Pro Football Focus. That’s the third-highest average among running backs with at least 70 attempts.

But perhaps equally important has been his ability to perfectly time his runs with when the offensive line creates a crease for him to run — a skill that was not always there.

“He was trying to pick and choose his holes and not just letting the thing develop,” Lester said. “There’s a certain amount of patience to this run game, and he was determined now. We watched film together. … As soon as he could find the holes and understanding the vision and the timing of this thing, the talent is there.”

Mature offensive line

Johnson has routinely credited Iowa’s offensive line in his media interviews for the Hawkeyes’ success on the ground.

“Without them, I wouldn’t have 200 and all that,” Johnson said after his 206-yard performance against Minnesota. “My O-line — they work their butts off every day. … I just really appreciate them for opening the holes and allowing me to do what I do.”

Ferentz said this year’s offensive line is “a little bit more mature” than in the last couple years.

“No knock on anybody, or anybody that's been out there playing the last couple years, but we've had our challenges, and fortunately we've been healthy with these guys,” Ferentz said.

All five of Iowa’s starting offensive linemen have a wealth of experience at this point. Mason Richman has started 43 games for Iowa at left tackle. Right guard Connor Colby has 39 career starts, with most of them coming at his current position.

Logan Jones is in his third year as Iowa’s starting center, and Gennings Dunker is in his second season as Iowa’s starting right tackle. Left guard Beau Stephens is Iowa’s least experienced starter on paper, and even he has 14 career starts.

“When five guys play together as much as they can in stable positions, the chemistry increases and then the confidence increases,” Barnett said. “They’re able to cut it loose a little bit more.”

Iowa has benefited as well from improved blocking at other positions, namely tight ends and wide receivers.

“The way our tight ends blocked last Saturday, the way our running backs ran last Saturday, the way our wide receivers blocked — we're going to start putting a couple chairs in our room just in tribute,” Barnett said this week.

Schematic adjustments

Lester’s system also has “some things that naturally make it a little bit easier” to run the ball, he said last week during Iowa’s bye. It is enough of a change to get the attention of opposing coordinators.

“They’re creating formations and ways to make it hard on the defense to maintain your proper position,” Ohio State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles said this week. “They get guys out of whack formationally, and then (Johnson is) able to crease it.”

Iowa has historically run the ball via inside zone and outside zone. Now, with Lester’s Shanahan-style offense in place, the Hawkeyes have implemented mid zone running schemes.

The mid zone is “like the happy medium” between the two, Iowa running backs coach Ladell Betts said.

“That was kind of a staple of his offense and a staple of kind of the Shanahan system, so we emphasized it from spring ball,” Betts said last month.

The mid zone “wasn’t pretty at first” when the Hawkeyes began implementing it.

“But we kept repping it, kept repping it, kept repping it,” Betts said. “And the guys are getting a better understanding of the tracks. The offensive linemen are getting a better understanding of their attack points. And I think you’re starting to see those things mesh and gel together.”

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