Kaleb Johnson scores 3 TDs, rushes for 135 yards in Iowa's 42-10 win over Wisconsin

Updated Nov. 3, 2024 12:11 a.m. ET

Associated Press

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Kaleb Johnson rushed for 135 yards and three touchdowns and quarterback Brendan Sullivan rushed for a touchdown and threw for one as Iowa defeated Wisconsin 42-10 on Saturday night.

The Hawkeyes (6-3, 4-2 Big Ten) rushed for 329 yards, with Johnson leading the way. Johnson, ranked second nationally in rushing yards and rushing yards per game, had his seventh game of 100 or more rushing yards.

Johnson has 20 touchdowns this season, tying Shonn Greene for the program’s single-season scoring record.

“A couple of weeks ago, he was here and he said, ‘I know you can break my records. Go ahead and do it,’ stuff like that,” Johnson said of Greene, who was the Doak Walker Award winner in 2008. “So I just kept my head down, remembered what he said, and just kept going.”

Johnson has 1,279 rushing yards this season, but he's not concerned about gaining national attention.

“Like I always say, I'm a humble person,” Johnson said. “Whatever goes out there, goes out there, and whatever's said is said.”

“He's got a good ability, obviously, and the size and strength and speed, all those things you would like to have,” Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz said. “I think I'm most impressed with just his approach, the maturity that he's playing with and practicing with right now.”

Wisconsin coach Luke Fickell said what Johnson is doing goes beyond his ability.

“He's the one that has all the yards,” Fickell said. “But I think it's got to fall on the shoulders of that offensive line. I’m not sure there weren’t some pretty good seams and holes in there that he had an opportunity to take advantage of.”

Sullivan, making his first start for Iowa after taking over for injured starter Cade McNamara in last week’s 40-14 win over Northwestern, gave the Hawkeyes a 7-3 lead in the second quarter on a 1-yard touchdown run. Johnson added a 16-yard touchdown run four minutes later, and the Hawkeyes led 14-3 at halftime.

Iowa, which rushed for 152 yards in the first half, kept that momentum going in the second half. The Hawkeyes’ first possession was a 10-play, 86-yard drive that was all running plays, capped by Johnson’s 9-yard touchdown run.

“That's something that every offensive player can feel, when the defense knows what you're going to do and you still do it at a high level,” Sullivan said. “That's really cool.”

Nick Jackson’s interception on Wisconsin’s next possession set up Sullivan’s 7-yard touchdown pass to Jacob Gill for a 28-3 lead. Johnson then added a 1-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter. Jaziun Patterson closed the scoring with a 4-yard touchdown run.

Wisconsin (5-4, 3-3) opened the game with Nathanial Vakos’ 38-yard field goal. The Badgers wouldn’t score again until Braedyn Locke’s 14-yard touchdown pass to CJ Williams early in the fourth quarter.

Sullivan completed 7 of 10 passes for 93 yards, and rushed for 58 yards.

Locke was 15-of-29 passing for 137 yards.

The takeaway

Wisconsin: The Badgers had no answer for the Hawkeyes on either side of the ball. Wisconsin opened the game with a 12-play, 59-yard drive that led to Vakos’ field goal, then had just 67 yards on its next six possessions. Wisconsin has an off week before playing Oregon in two weeks. “I don't think there's a whole lot of positives we can point out from tonight,” Fickell said. “Like I said, we're going to find out what we're made of.”

Iowa: The Hawkeyes, who became bowl eligible for the 23rd time in 24 seasons, have shown some life after a 32-20 road loss to Michigan State on Oct. 19. Iowa has won four of its last five games against the Badgers after an eight-game stretch in which Wisconsin won seven. This was the largest win for Iowa in the rivalry since a 41-0 win in 1996.