Tag: emmett johnson

WATCH: Emmett Johnson scampers for game-sealing TD

Nebraska football running back Emmett Johnson made his presence felt on Saturday.

The Nebraska football offense went through a bit of a lull in the second half, but they were able to put points on the board courtesy of an Emmett Johnson touchdown in the fourth quarter. The running back scampered for 36 yards to the end zone, giving Nebraska a 34-3 lead following the extra point.

For Johnson, it was part of a day that saw him work himself back into the running back rotation. He was able to bounce outside after the initial hole was filled, and find his way in for the score.

It was Johnson’s first touchdown of the season, and finished off a drive that took eight plays, 80 yards, and 4:33 off the clock.

Johnson’s contribution just reaffirmed the depth of that Nebraska football has in the running back room. His ability to hit holes quickly, and his overall explosiveness are just additional assets to an already loaded running back room.

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Matt Rhule pleased with the running game in Nebraska’s win

Nebraska’s rushing attack was a key component in Saturday’s victory.

Nebraska’s running backs room played a significant role in Saturday’s 40-7 win over the UTEP Miners. Coach Matt Rhule talked about their contributions following the win.

The running backs had 47 carries for 223 yards and three touchdowns. Emmett Johnson was the leader in the game, carrying the ball eight times for 71 yards. Dante Dowdell had eight carries for 55 yards, while Rahmir Johnson had 11 carries for 50 yards. Gabe Ervin Jr. was the red zone weapon, scoring two touchdowns on six carries.

All told the Nebraska running backs room got the job done, averaging 4.7 yards per carry as a group. Rhule was pleased with the effort the running backs put in, as he said in his press conference following the game.

“They all made plays. It was a shame that Dante (Dowdell) had that fumble, but he was really running well. Dante has done such a good job. At the end of the spring, I probably would have put him fourth. He was the second back in the game today. Dante, I thought he was really playing well, running the ball well, and then had that fumble. I’m happy to see him come back. Gabe (Ervin Jr.) had some plays, Emmett (Johnson) with the long run, Rahmir (Johnson), I thought he ran hard. I was pleased with the whole group, and Maurice (Mazzccua Jr.) came in and did really well too.”

If anything, Saturday’s game spoke to the depth of the Huskers’ unit. All running backs played well and perfectly balanced the Huskers’ passing attack. It also gave fans a preview of what the running back room can look like for the rest of the season.

If Saturday was any indication, Nebraska should have one of the best rushing attacks in the Big Ten yet again.

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Nebraska Football Countdown to Kickoff: No. 21 RB Emmett Johnson

The countdown until August 31 is down to 21 days.

Only 21 days remain until the Nebraska Cornhuskers kickoff their 2024 season against the UTEP Miners, with kickoff closely growing closer, Huskers sophomore running back Emmett Johnson is today’s featured player.

Johnson is entering his third season with the program after playing in 12 games in 2023 including starting in seven games. On the season, Johnson totaled 90 carries for 411 yards and a pair of touchdowns while also nabbing seven receptions for 46 yards over the course of the season.

In his true freshman season, the Minneapolis native played in four games but did not record any stats offensively.

His best performance of the season was a 13 carry, 76 yards, and one touchdown performance against Purdue on October 28. He also totaled 84 yards against Maryland and 74 yards against Northwestern.

In 2024, Johnson will be one of the Huskers top options at running back and will likely play a quality role in the offense while serving as a rotational piece in the backfield.

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Nebraska football comes up short against Michigan State

The Huskers traveled to East Lansing, Michigan for a chance to punch their ticket to a bowl game for the first time since 2016.

The Huskers traveled to East Lansing, Michigan, for a chance to punch their ticket to a bowl game for the first time since 2016. This ended up being easier said than done. Nebraska hit the roadblock that was Michigan State. The Huskers battled the Spartans and saw numerous opportunities to win. The options fell by the wayside, resulting in a 20-17 loss for Nebraska.

The Huskers’ offense saw most of these opportunities but struggled to take advantage of them. Their biggest came in the fourth quarter. After scoring a touchdown to cut the deficit to three, Nebraska got the ball back with over two minutes left. The Huskers fumbled, resulting in a Michigan State takeaway. Nebraska got the ball one more time with under a minute left but once again failed to take advantage.

Heinrich Haarberg went 12-of-28 for 129 yards and two interceptions, his worst outing as Nebraska’s starting quarterback this season. Haarberg also rushed for 37 yards off 14 carries and a touchdown. However, they also fumbled twice, one resulting in a turnover and the other on the team’s final drive.

Freshman Emmett Johnson led the charge for the Huskers in rushing, going for 57 yards and a touchdown off 13 carries. This all culminated in just 17 points, an ongoing flaw that finally caught up with Nebraska’s defense. The Blackshirts held the Spartans to just 63 yards rushing but surrendered 232 yards passing and two touchdowns.

The Huskers fall to 5-4 and will face three difficult opponents for its remaining regular-season outings. They will travel back home to host Maryland next Saturday. Kickoff is set for 11 a.m. and can be viewed on Peacock.

Nebraska football overcomes miscues en route to 31-14 win over Purdue

A glance at the final score would make it appear as though Nebraska dominated in its win over Purdue. That is not the case.

A glance at the final score would make it appear as though Nebraska dominated in its win over Purdue. That is not the case. The Huskers delivered a strong showing in the victory over the Boilermakers, but it was anything but consistent.

The offense scored three touchdowns and a field goal, but also lost three fumbles, resulting in Purdue’s 14 total points. The second touchdown came off a fourth down strip fumble on Jeff Sims, which Purdue took 55 yards to the house. Special teams also put the ball on the ground a few times, losing the ball on the opening kickoff and nearly giving up the ball during a punt return. But despite the major miscues, Nebraska stood its ground.

Heinrich Haarberg went 6-of-11 in the air but threw for 122 yards and two touchdowns. Thomas Fidone II and freshman Jaylen Lloyd were on the receiving end of those touchdown passes. Fidone hauled in a one-yard catch for a touchdown, while Lloyd was all alone for his 73-yard touchdown. Emmett Johnson scored the final touchdown, running up the middle for a 28-yard score to put the game away.

The Blackshirts were the shining light in the game once again for Nebraska. The Huskers held Purdue to under 100 yards in both rushing and passing. This is the first time Nebraska has accomplished this achievement since 2012 when it defeated Minnesota 38-14. The Blackshirts also recovered a fumble, snatched two interceptions and blocked a field goal and took it for a touchdown.

Tommi Hill hauled in both interceptions for Nebraska, while Quinton Newsome ran the blocked field goal back for a touchdown.

Nebraska is now 5-3 on the season, its first five-win season since 2019. The Huskers will travel to East Lansing to face Michigan State on Saturday, with a win punching their ticket to a bowl game. Kickoff is set for 11 a.m. and can be viewed on FS1.

Nebraska’s plan at running back moving forward

Nebraska has been dealing with a rash of injuries on the offensive side of the ball during the 2023 season.

Nebraska has been dealing with a rash of injuries on the offensive side of the ball during the 2023 season. The running back position has been impacted as heavily as any Husker unit.

Gabe Ervin Jr. and Rahmir Johson are both done for the year after suffering injuries earlier in the season. Ervin dislocated his hip and Johnson dislocated his shoulder.

Ervin started the first two games for the Huskers and totaled 196 yards on 38 carries. He has 95 carries for 414 yards and three touchdowns for his career.

Johnson had 12 carries on the season for 65 yards, including a 44-yard run against Northern Illinois before his season ended. He’s amassed 739 yards in five seasons on 172 carries with six touchdowns.

The position has seen a three-man rotation of Emmett Johnson, Anthony Grant and Josh Fleeks. The leading rusher for Nebraska is quarterback Heinrich Haarberg, who has 424 rushing yards on the year.

Matt Rhule told the media that it’s still a work in progress.

“It’s one of those deals where Emmett (Johnson) can kind of do everything for us and Emmett had some good plays for us. Anthony (Grant) held on to the ball, Anthony had a great run on a run. Josh Fleeks is a guy we want to continue to get in the game so I think all three of those guys are going to continue to play and I’d like to have more plays. I’d like to have more tailback runs so hopefully we can continue to get those guys more involved but it’ll be all three of those guys pending a good week of practice and pending ball security.”

Nebraska will take the field again on Saturday when the Huskers welcome Purdue to Memorial Stadium. Find a gallery of Nebraska’s running backs below.

Nebraska RB Named National High School Football Player of the Year

A Nebraska Cornhuskers RB has been named SBLive’s National Football Player of the Year.

Nebraska Cornhuskers running back Emmett Johnson has been named SBLive’s National Football Player of the Year.

Johnson committed to the Nebraska Cornhuskers in December 2021.

Johnson had a huge senior season at the Academy of Holy Angels in Minneapolis, Minnesota. In 11 games, he rushed for 2,484 yards and 41 touchdowns.

Johnson also played a large role on the defensive side of the ball. As a safety, he racked up 71 total tackles, ten tackles for loss, two interceptions, and two forced fumbles.

Johnson was named Minnesota’s Mr. Football by the Minnesota Football Coaches Association.

Despite his on-the-field production, Johnson flew somewhat under the radar during the recruiting process. 247 Sports ranked him as the 68th-best running back in the 2022 class.

Johnson could prove to be a steal for the Cornhuskers.

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