Johnson's Career Day Not Enough for Huskers

Lincoln - Emmett Johnson rushed for a career-high 217 yards, but it was not enough in Nebraska's 40-16 loss to Iowa at Memorial Stadium on Friday.

Johnson carried 19 times for 177 yards and a touchdown in the first-half alone, including a career-long 70-yard sprint down the Nebraska sideline on the Big Red's opening drive to set up his own 1-yard touchdown plunge one play later to give the Huskers a 7-0 lead less than five minutes into the game.

Nebraska, which slipped to 7-5 on the season and ended Big Ten Conference play at 4-5, still trailed 24-16 at halftime. The Husker defense got a stop to open the third quarter, but a fumbled punt led to a safety to push Iowa's lead to 10 points. 

Iowa, which improved to 8-4 and 6-3 in the Big Ten, got the ball back after the safety and the Blackshirts stiffened again, before Nebraska's offense went three-and-out. The Hawkeyes capitalized with a touchdown on the ensuing drive to push the lead to 33-16 with just under five minutes left in the third quarter.

The Huskers ran only six offensive plays in the third quarter, and the Hawkeyes opened the fourth quarter with their final touchdown. 

Nebraska threatened to narrow the margin back to 17 points by driving to the Iowa 1 with just under seven minutes left, but another fumble at the goal line ended the Husker hopes, and Iowa closed out the victory.

Outside of Johnson's career-best 217 yards and a touchdown on 29 carries, Nebraska mustered just 83 more yards of total offense. Freshman quarterback TJ Lateef completed 9-of-24 passes for 69 yards and had just two yards on one carry.

Johnson's 200-yard rushing game was the first by a Husker since Abdullah rushed for 225 yards against Rutgers on Oct. 25, 2014.

It was Johnson’s fifth straight 100-yard rushing game, a first at Nebraska since Ameer Abdullah in 2013. It was Johnson’s eighth 100-yard rushing game of the season, the most at Nebraska since 2013. His six 100-yard rushing games in Big Ten play are the most by any Power Four conference player in league games this season. 

Johnson finished the regular season with 1,451 rushing yards.

Iowa ended with 379 yards of total offense, as Mark Gronowski completed 9-of-16 passes for 166 yards and a touchdown while adding 64 rushing yards and two more scores on 13 carries.

Kamari Moulton led the Iowa ground game with 93 yards and two touchdowns on 18 carries, while Nathan McNeil contributed 35 yards on eight totes.

DJ Vonnahme led the Hawkeye receivers with three receptions for 91 yards, including a first-quarter touchdown, while Reece Vander Zee pitched in two catches for 53 yards, including a highlight-reel diving one-handed catch to set up Iowa's final touchdown.

Johnson pounded the Hawkeye defense in the first half, but the Iowa offense found success both on the ground and through the air against the Blackshirts. Gronowski completed 5-of-9 passes for 86 yards, including a 35-yard touchdown pass to Vonnahme in the first quarter to give the Hawkeyes their first lead. He added six carries for 38 yards and a one-yard touchdown on Iowa's final offensive play of the half to send the Hawkeyes to the locker room with a 24-16 halftime lead.

Moulton added 64 yards on 11 carries and Iowa's second touchdown of the game on a three-yard run. 

Lateef moved the Huskers into the red zone four times in the first half, but Nebraska settled for three Kyle Cunanan field goals of 35 yards or less to account for the rest of NU's scoring in the opening 30 minutes.

Nebraska's offense mustered just 69 yards in the second half.

Javin Wright and Donovan Jones led the Blackshirts with nine tackles apiece.

Scoring Summary
Iowa           40
Nebraska   16
Friday, Nov. 28, 2025
Memorial Stadium (Lincoln, Neb.)
Attendance: 86,410

First Quarter (10-10)
NEB - 10:40 - Emmett Johnson 1 run (Kyle Cunanan kick), 4 plays, 90 yards, 1:47, NEB 7-0
IOWA - 8:49 - Drew Stevens 41 FG, 4 plays, 6 yards, 1:41, NEB 7-3
IOWA - 5:35 - DJ Vonnahme 35 pass from Mark Gronowski (Stevens kick), 3 plays, 51 yards, 1:37, IOWA 10-7
NEB - 1:13 - Cunanan 31 FG, 11 plays, 62 yards, 4:22, 10-10

Second Quarter (Iowa, 24-16)
NEB - 13:53 - Cunanan 29 FG, 6 plays, 16 yards, 2:20, NEB 13-10
IOWA - 8:13 - Kamari Moulton 3 run (Stevens kick), 10 plays, 75 yards, 5:40, IOWA 17-13
NEB - 2:53 - Cunanan 35 FG, 10 plays, 56 yards, 5:14, IOWA 17-16
IOWA - 0:37 - Gronowski 1 run (Stevens kick), 9 plays, 75 yards, 2:16, IOWA 24-16

Third Quarter (Iowa, 33-16)
IOWA - 11:16 - Team safety (fumble recovery on punt), IOWA 26-16
IOWA - 4:47 - Gronowski 6 run (Stevens kick), 7 plays, 71 yards, 3:51, IOWA 33-16

Fourth Quarter (Iowa, 40-16)
IOWA - 13:40 - Moulton 1 run (Stevens kick), 9 plays, 63 yards, 4:34, IOWA 40-16

Kickoff: 11:08 AM
Length of Game: 3:15