IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Kaleb Johnson ran for 173 yards and two touchdowns as Iowa rallied in the second half to win 38-21 over Troy on Saturday.
It was Johnson’s third consecutive 100-yard rushing game to start the season. He entered the game ranked third nationally at 153 yards per game.
“This is something I’ve always had in mind – to be one of the top five running backs in the country,” Johnson said. “I’ve got to keep going, keep my head down and keep focusing.”
Johnson has rushed for 479 yards on 61 carries this season despite missing the first half of the season opener against Illinois State as punishment for violating team rules. Johnson, who rushed for just 463 yards last season after missing three games due to injury, has already tied his season record with six touchdowns this season.
“I’ve seen a tremendous improvement in him over the last month,” tackle Mason Richman said. “I think he’s had one of the best training camps on the team. He brings that energy. He’s a big guy, but he’s also pretty fast.”
“I learned a lot in my first two years here,” Johnson said. “I was used to using my speed against others because that’s all I did in high school. Now only I know that others are faster. Now I just use my strength and put my head down.”
Johnson opened the scoring with a 4-yard touchdown run on Iowa’s first possession, then his 33-yard touchdown run with 12:05 left in the game gave the Hawkeyes a 31-21 lead.
The Hawkeyes (2-1) were able to shake off the Trojans (0-3), who benefited from three big touchdowns from receiver Devonte Ross.
Ross gave Troy a 14-10 halftime lead with a 63-yard touchdown pass from Matthew Caldwell early in the second quarter. He scored a touchdown with a minute left in the half on a 77-yard punt return.
Ross caught a 62-yard touchdown from Tucker Kilcrease in the third quarter.
Ross finished the game with 219 all-purpose yards.
Johnson’s second touchdown was one of four touchdowns for the Hawkeyes in the second half. Addison Ostrenga caught a 2-yard touchdown pass from backup quarterback Brendan Sullivan and Jermari Harris returned an interception pass 28 yards for another touchdown. Jaziun Patterson finished the scoring with a 39-yard touchdown run with 6:01 left in the game.
“When you play against Big Ten football teams like Iowa, they ran us over, put pressure on us, completed a drive and cut it to 10 (points),” Troy coach Gerad Parker said. “We were exhausted and they got on us a little bit as the game went on. But our guys fought back with all their might.”
Iowa had 462 yards of offense, including 284 rushing yards.
“We gained a lot of yards in the first half,” quarterback Cade McNamara said. “It just didn’t show on the scoreboard. I think our ability to respond is a good sign.”
“I saw a lot of good things today that are really encouraging,” coach Kirk Ferentz said. “But there are some things that we can hopefully do better in the future.”
Troy played without injured starting quarterback Goose Crowder. Caldwell started the game and completed 14 of 21 passes for 156 yards, while Kilcrease completed 2 of 5 passes for 73 yards.
McNamara completed 19 of 23 passes for 176 yards. McNamara had nine consecutive successful passes in one period.
The conclusion
Troy: The Trojans, who opened the season with a close home loss to Nevada and a 21-point loss to Memphis, showed improvement in their third game under Parker. “It’s a huge development,” Ross said. “You have to play games to build chemistry. This game showed us who we are and what we can do.”
Iowa: The Hawkeyes fell out of the AP poll after losing to Iowa State last week, but this win didn’t feel like a victory that could put them back in the rankings. Iowa’s flawless offense wore down the Trojans in the second half, allowing the Hawkeyes to make up the deficit from the first half.
Next
Troy: Hosts Florida A&M next Saturday.
Iowa: Next Saturday in Minnesota.
___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP College Football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football
