Kirk Ferentz shares level of surprise with Iowa run game’s success

For the 12th straight season, the Iowa Hawkeyes have secured bowl eligibility, winning their sixth game of the season last weekend in a dominant 42-10 victory over Wisconsin. Iowa did so once again with yet another dominant day on the ground after rushing for 329 yards with five touchdowns.

Defense and a strong rushing attack have always been staples of Iowa’s tough and physical team under head coach Kirk Ferentz. But the Hawkeyes have taken things to a new level this season in the run game, which led to Ferentz being asked if he was surprised at the booming success of his team’s rushing attack.

“Yes and no,” Ferentz admitted. “The no part would be, I guess all those guys, but the line I thought we had the potential. I kind of suggested that back in August, that maybe we’re getting close to where we’d like to be and we have been there. I’ve said that very openly for the last couple years and it’s a long litany of things. It really doesn’t matter at this point, but the bottom line is these guys have fought through injury, they’ve fought through the scar tissue that they got.”

The Hawkeyes offensive line has been lights out this season, paving the way for a Big Ten-leading 222.4 rushing yards per game (10th in the FBS) and allowing just eight sacks through nine games this season. That has helped Iowa earn a spot on the Joe Moore Award Midseason Honor Roll.

“Our tight ends are doing a good job, our receivers are doing a good job in the blocking game,” Ferentz added. “And I’ll go back to when I was in the NFL. You watch, in those days, it was the Broncos and then pretty soon Kansas City. Those teams that ran the ball well, those receivers are doing a good job blocking.”

The spoon that obviously stirs Iowa’s run game is star running back Kaleb Johnson, who’s having a breakout season with 1,279 rushing yards and 19 touchdowns. Johnson ranks second nationally only behind Boise State‘s Ashton Jeanty in both categories, who notably does not have two 200-yard rushers splitting carries with him in the backfield like Johnson does.

“And then the other component’s Kaleb, and I think all our backs are running really well right now. But Kaleb has clearly taken another step,” Ferentz said. “It’s year three and just in general terms, that seems to be where guys really start to get traction.

“I’m fine if they get it sooner than that, but year three is usually an area where guys start to really kind of figure out how to play and how to do things. Not not just on the field, but also off the field and just really the little things that make a difference in being successful. And Kaleb has been extremely focused and just playing outstanding football right now.”

There’s no doubt that Johnson has been an absolute force in the Big Ten this season, rushing for over 100 yards in all but two games this season and scoring multiple touchdowns in all but two games as well. Johnson will look to continue leading the Hawkeyes dominant rushing attack on Friday against UCLA in Los Angeles.