IOWA CITY, Iowa – In an impressive display of power on Saturday night, Kaleb Johnson carried the ball for 135 yards and scored three touchdowns, leading Iowa to a decisive 42-10 victory over Wisconsin. Quarterback Brendan Sullivan also contributed significantly, scoring a rushing touchdown and passing for another.
The Hawkeyes (6-3, 4-2 Big Ten) dominated the ground game, amassing a total of 329 rushing yards. Johnson was a standout performer, marking his seventh game this season with over 100 rushing yards, a statistic that places him second in the nation for rushing yards and rushing average per game. With a total of 20 touchdowns this year, he has now tied the program’s single-season scoring record held by Shonn Greene.
Making his first start in place of the injured Cade McNamara after last week’s win against Northwestern, Sullivan put Iowa ahead 7-3 in the second quarter with a short 1-yard touchdown run. Johnson followed up shortly with a 16-yard touchdown run, bringing the halftime score to 14-3 in favor of the Hawkeyes.
Iowa maintained its offensive momentum into the second half, starting with a dominant 10-play, 86-yard drive that showcased their running game. The drive culminated in Johnson’s 9-yard touchdown run. After Nick Jackson intercepted a pass from Wisconsin on their next drive, Sullivan threw a 7-yard touchdown pass to Jacob Gill, extending Iowa’s lead to 28-3. Johnson further padded the score with another 1-yard rushing touchdown in the final quarter, and Jaziun Patterson contributed a 4-yard touchdown run to seal the game.
Wisconsin (5-4, 3-3) managed to get on the scoreboard first with Nathanial Vakos kicking a 38-yard field goal during an initial drive, but their offensive efforts dwindled sharply afterward. The Badgers only managed to score again through a 14-yard touchdown pass from Braedyn Locke to CJ Williams early in the fourth quarter.
Sullivan had an efficient performance, completing 7 of 10 passes for 93 yards while rushing for another 58. Conversely, Locke finished the game 15-of-29 passing for 137 yards.
The game highlighted Wisconsin’s struggles as they failed to effectively counter Iowa’s strong performance on both sides of the ball. After a promising opening drive that ended with Vakos’ field goal, Wisconsin had difficulties, gaining just 67 yards across their following six possessions.
For Iowa, this victory marks a resurgence after suffering a setback against Michigan State on October 19. The Hawkeyes have turned the tide by winning four out of their last five matchups against Wisconsin, a notable contrast to the previous streak where they lost seven out of eight games against the Badgers.
Looking ahead, Wisconsin will host Oregon on November 16, while Iowa is set for an away game against UCLA next Friday.
