MINNEAPOLIS — Exactly 11 months ago Saturday, Iowa rushed for 11 yards against Minnesota.

That, which happened in a 12-10 home loss to the Gophers, was ridiculous. That’s what happened Saturday night at Huntington Bank Stadium, but in a good way.

The story of Iowa’s one-third regular season isn’t that it has a Dr. Jekyll half and a Mr. Hyde half in every game. No, so far it’s been bigger and better than that.

It’s a team with a leading running back who continues to put up fantastic yardage totals with a consistent flair for big plays that are so entertaining you forget the team is even passing.

The offensive line bears little resemblance to last year’s unit, which could neither adequately protect nor pound. It does its job.

That runner? Kaleb Johnson hits every hole, rushing to daylight and beyond. He had five rushes for 20-plus yards Saturday, one for 40. After three straight two-touchdown games, he increased it by one against the Gophers in Iowa’s 31-14 victory.

Johnson rushed for 206 yards on 21 carries, nearly 10 yards per rush. That was better than his season average prior to the game, but not by much.

Last year, the offensive line was a turnstile. So far this season, it’s helping to spin a yards-o-meter. Johnson has rushed for 685 yards in four games. Iowa had 272 on Saturday. There was a lot of buzz last season when the modest 272 yards total would have been embraced.

For example, the 11 rushing yards and 127 total yards against Minnesota.

“I just took (last year’s game) really personal,” Johnson said in a postgame on-field interview with NBC. “I took my team on my shoulders and I won.”

But Johnson is no I-me-mine guy. “I love my O-line. I love those guys,” he said before that interview was over, complimenting his blockers as he came off the field and spoke to Iowa reporters.

“They come together, they’re big and strong, they finish blocks and everything,” Johnson said. “It opened up the holes for me and I did my thing today.”

They’re in sync, the linemen and the 6-foot, 225-pound back. They came out of the tunnel for the second half trailing 14-7 after losing the upper hand of this game thanks to a brutal second quarter.

Johnson had a 17-yard run and a touchdown carry for 15 on the opening drive of the third quarter to tie the game. He went 40 yards to the end zone on Iowa’s next possession for a 21-14 lead. He went 33 yards on the first play of his team’s final scoring drive.

Jay Higgins, Iowa’s standout linebacker and part of a defense that dominated in the second half, has seen Johnson run during games.

“Seeing the gaps that open up on the Jumbotron,” Higgins said. “We try to minimize that in practice when we have him playing, but it’s good to see that on Saturday.”

Johnson has made it look somewhat easy and somewhat mundane. Again, give the front five ample credit.

Left tackle Mason Richman has 43 career starts. He’s probably never smiled so much after one of his first 42 as he did after Saturday’s game.

“I think we’re all going to dive in and block our tail,” Richman said.

“I think it’s a combination of the chemistry they have and the work ethic they put into it,” said Iowa quarterback Cade McNamara, who ran alongside Johnson as he looked for someone to block on Johnson’s second TD run.

When you look at the abysmal offense Iowa has produced over the past two years, the results these blockers and their backs are achieving feel like an exorcism.

College football has never lacked for great running backs. But Johnson is different, a fighter who wears down defenses with punishing short gains and has demoralized them with his routine rushes for yardage.

“I’m not sure I can remember anybody doing what he did in four games,” Iowa Coach Kirk Ferentz said. When Ferentz calls out an individual player like that, there’s something different going on here.

“I just want to keep doing more,” Johnson said. “I’m never satisfied.”

Eleven rushing yards last year against Minnesota. It was 272 Saturday. “It’s a lot better, right?” Richman said.

Yes, it’s like daylight again.

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