Caleb Johnson scores 3 touchdowns and rushes for 135 yards in Iowa’s 42-10 win over Wisconsin.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Caleb 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, led by Johnson. Johnson, who ranked second in the country in rushing yards per game, had 100 or more rushing yards in his seventh game.

Johnson threw 20 touchdowns this season, tying Seann Greene for the program’s single-season rushing record.

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

Johnson has 1,279 rushing yards this season, but he’s not worried about getting national attention.

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

“Obviously he has good ability and size, strength and speed, all the qualities you want to have,” Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz said. “I think what impresses me most is his approach, the maturity with which he plays and trains now.”

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

“He’s the one who has all the yards,” Fickell said. “But I think it should fall on the shoulders of this offensive line. I’m not sure there weren’t good seams and holes there that he could have taken advantage of.”

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

Iowa, which rushed for 152 yards in the first half, carried that momentum into the second half. The Hawkeyes’ first possession was a 10-play, 86-yard drive, all running, that ended with Johnson’s 9-yard touchdown run.

“That’s what every hitter can feel when the defense knows what you’re going to do and you still do it at a high level,” Sullivan said. “It’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 capped the scoring with a 4-yard touchdown run.

Wisconsin (5-4, 3-3) opened the game with a 38-yard field goal from Nathaniel Vakos. The Badgers didn’t score again until Bradyn Locke’s 14-yard touchdown pass to C.J. Williams early in the fourth quarter.

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

Lock was 15 of 29 passing for 137 yards.

Conclusion

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 Vacos’ field goal, and then had just 67 yards on his next six possessions. Wisconsin has a day off before playing Oregon in two weeks. “I don’t think we can come up with a lot of positives tonight,” Fickell said. “Like I said, we’re going to find out what we’re made of.”

Iowa: The Hawkeyes, bowl eligible for the 23rd time in 24 seasons, showed 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. It was Iowa’s biggest win in the contest since a 41-0 win in 1996.

Wisconsin: Host Oregon on Nov. 16.

Iowa: At UCLA next Friday.

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