Comparing Emmett Johnson and Darius Taylor

Emmett Johnson has continued to be the workhorse for the Nebraska offense. The junior has carried the ball 105 times for 650 yards and seven touchdowns, averaging 6.2 yards per carry, while adding 24 receptions for 130 yards and one touchdown as a receiver. His combination of agility, power, and versatility in the passing game has made him a cornerstone of Dana Holgorsen's explosive offense, continuing to make it difficult to limit his reps with a lack of experience behind him.

Coming off a career high and standout performance this past Saturday in a 34-31 win over Maryland, Johnson racked up 176 yards on 21 carries with one touchdown, plus two receptions for 20 yards. This followed an 83-yard, 6.4 YPC outing against Michigan State, showcasing his ability to rebound against tough defenses. The Minnesota native looks to follow up his career-high game with another stellar performance in front of a lot of friends and family. The Huskers' offense will look to lean on Johnson to exploit Minnesota's below-average run defense Friday night.

PFF grades highlight Johnson's impact across the board, with an overall grade of 78.0, excelling in the run game (83.0). His ability to handle a heavy workload while contributing in multiple facets makes him a matchup nightmare for opponents.

Emmett Johnson Big Ten Rankings:

Rushing Yards: 2nd
Rushing Touchdowns: 5th (tied)
Total Touchdowns: 6th (8 total, 7 rushing, 1 receiving)
Rushing Carries: 1st
Rushing Yards per Game: 8th (93.0 YPG)

Look for Johnson to have a huge workload in his homecoming on Friday night. The Gophers have been solid at stopping the run, ranking 28th in the country in rush defense, but have a very low PFF grade of 71.2

Now Let's look at Darius Taylor

The Minnesota Gophers have struggled to establish the run game so far in 2025. Even with the struggles, Darius Taylor has emerged as Minnesota's lead back, providing a steady presence with his vision and toughness. The junior struggled to get anything going in their most recent game against Purdue, rushing 14 times for only 32 yards. Despite the poor performance on the ground, Taylor was able to contribute in the pass game, hauling in six catches for 67 yards.

The Minnesota backfield has been quite the revolving door, but Taylor has continued to get the bulk of the carries. His role has grown despite early-season injury setbacks, but Minnesota's ground game has struggled to find consistency. Taylor could find success on the ground against the Blackshirts, who have struggled to stop the run in most games this season.

Nebraska's run defense looked better against Michigan State, but it struggled at times against Maryland this past Saturday. Despite allowing 130 yards on the ground, the Blackshirts stepped up when they needed to in the fourth quarter. John Butler's unit will look to put together a better performance against a Minnesota team that has struggled to run the ball this season, ranking 114th in the country in rush offense.

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