Iowa football rewind: Win over Northwestern showcases Kaleb Johnson’s skill set, defensive line depth

IOWA CITY — Iowa’s offense undoubtedly looked better against Northwestern than in any other game in 2022.

“No question, this was our best offensive performance,” head coach Kirk Ferentz said. “We've done some good things along the way, but this was by far the best collective effort we've had.”

The Hawkeyes finished with 398 total yards. Spencer Petras completed 70 percent of his passes, and the team averaged 5.1 yards per carry.

Iowa put up those numbers against a Northwestern team that has not won a game in North America this season, though. (Its lone win of 2022 was against Nebraska in Ireland.)

“What we did, I’d say, today has no bearing on what we do next week,” Iowa offensive lineman Connor Colby said. “We’ve still got to keep that improvement mentality.”

Iowa’s offense now ranks 129th out of 131 FBS teams in total offense instead of 131st. The scoring offense is 125th instead of 128th.

Here are a couple takeaways after taking a closer look at Iowa’s 33-13 win:

Kaleb Johnson takes advantage of more ‘green grass’

True freshman running back Kaleb Johnson finished with 93 rushing yards — more than five times what Northwestern’s entire rushing attack recorded Saturday — and averaged 7.2 yards per carry.

Johnson said the offensive line, which debuted a new configuration, “did a really good job.”

“The only thing I saw was green grass,” Johnson said.

Johnson’s success against the Wildcats was a result of more than just having space to run, though.

He accumulated 58 yards after contact, per Pro Football Focus, so about 62 percent of his yardage came after the first hit from a Northwestern defender.

His 5-yard run on a second-and-goal in the first half was an example of his after-contact abilities. Johnson did not have much room to work with, but it took three defenders to stop the 212-pound back a half-yard short of the end zone.

Iowa’s official depth charts have continued to list Gavin Williams as the first-team running back, Leshon Williams as second-team and Johnson as third-team.

In reality, Johnson is emerging as a strong, albeit unofficial, RB1.

He had 14 carries against Northwestern. Leshon Williams had 11. Gavin Williams had one before Ferentz said he “tweaked his ankle.”

Johnson also handled more carries in Iowa’s four October games than Gavin and Leshon Williams combined.

“As he’s gotten more confidence and more comfortable with what we’re doing, we’re trying to allow him to get more reps out on the field,” running backs coach Ladell Betts said last week. “But at the same time, you don't want to put too much on his shoulders.”

Defensive line depth on display

On paper, the matchup between Iowa defensive lineman Ethan Hurkett and Northwestern offensive lineman Peter Skoronski would likely favor the latter.

Skoronski is a likely first-round pick in the NFL Draft whenever he decides to go pro. ESPN’s Jordan Reid and Matt Miller earlier this month rated Skoronski as the best offensive tackle in the 2023 draft class. ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. and Todd McShay rated him as the second-best option at the position.

Hurkett is a second-team defensive lineman, but the Cedar Rapids Xavier product had no issues beating Skoronski on the edge in the first half to sack Northwestern quarterback Brendan Sullivan.

It was emblematic of a game that showcased Iowa’s depth on the defensive line.

The defense limited Northwestern’s potent rushing attack to 0.5 yards per carry and had seven sacks from seven different players. Six of the seven sacks were by defensive linemen.

Second-team players were responsible for three of the sacks. Along with Hurkett, fellow defensive linemen Deontae Craig and Lukas Van Ness had sacks.

“We’re called twos, but when you’re out there, you’re all ones,” Craig said.

Comments: john.steppe@thegazette.com