Know Your Foe, Nebraska vs. Michigan: The Running Backs

Let's compare the running back position for the matchup against the Michigan Wolverines: Emmett Johnson vs. Justice Haynes.

Michigan running back Justice Haynes (22) runs for a touchdown against Central Michigan | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Nebraska takes on the Michigan Wolverines on Saturday, and it's time to compare the running backs in the game. As key contributors in their backfields, they've both emerged as workhorse backs for their teams in the first three games and have hopes of carrying the load in the Big Ten Conference.

Let's start with Nebraska: Emmett Johnson

Emmett Johnson has been the do-it-all back in the Nebraska backfield through the first three games of the 2025 season. The junior running back has carried the load and gained over 100 yards in two of the first three games, showcasing his vision, burst, and ability to grind out tough yards after contact. Under Dana Holgorsen's revamped offense, Johnson has become the centerpiece, forcing defenses to respect the run but also Johnson's ability to catch the ball out of the backfield. While the schedule has been soft so far, his consistency has been undeniable, and the Huskers' success will depend on his ability to wear down Big Ten defenses like Michigan's on Saturday.

CAR	YDS	TD	AVG
52	326	4	6.3

Nebraska running back Emmett Johnson celebrates with quarterback Dylan Raiola after scoring on a 4-yard TD run against Houston Christian. | Kenny Larabee, KLIN

REC	YDS	TD
11	41	1

As we look into PFF and how Emmett Johnson has performed, his tape matches the box score perfectly. He's been a force in both the run and pass game, and an underrated part of his game is his ability to pass block.

WEEK	OPP	OFF	PASS	PASSBLK	RUN	RUNBLK
1	CIN	64.5	52.7	73.7	66.4	73.6
2	AKRON	71.0	61.0	72.6	69.9	73.4
3	HOUCHR	78.5	56.8	70.3	82.8	60.0
OVERALL		74.0	54.2	77.5	77.3	80.9

Emmett Johnson Big Ten Rankings:

Rushing Yards: 3rd
Total Touchdowns: 2nd in the Big Ten with 5 touchdowns (4 rushing, 1 receiving).
Rushing Carries: 2nd
Rushing Yards per Game: 3rd

This will be the first test for Emmett Johnson as he looks to keep the trend of rushing for over 100 yards. The Michigan rush defense ranks 21st nationally scoring an impressive PFF grade of 90.5 if the Huskers can get things going on the ground, that will be a good sign for their offense on Saturday.

Know your opponent:

Let's look at the RB position and compare Emmett Johnson and Justice Haynes.

Emmett Johnson - Junior
52 Carries 326 YDS 4 TD AVG 6.3

Justice Haynes - Junior
49 Carries 388 YDS 5 TD AVG 7.9#GBR #Huskers #Michigan #Wolverines #GoBlue #NBNR pic.twitter.com/ngJUaIquqh

— No Block💥No Rockᴺᴮᴺᴿ (@NBNRPodcast) September 15, 2025

Now Let's look at Justice Haynes

Haynes has hit the ground running—literally—as Michigan's featured back in 2025. The junior running back has averaged nearly eight yards per carry across three games, showing patience with explosive speed on the edges. His debut against New Mexico featured a 56-yard run for a score, and even in a tougher matchup at Oklahoma, he ran for 125 yards on 19 carries. Haynes is proving to be one of the best backs in the country through three games, and Nebraska will have its hands full on Saturday.

CAR	YDS	TD	AVG
49	388	5	7.9

Michigan running back Justice Haynes (22) runs against Central Michigan. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

REC	YDS	TD
6	17	0

Diving into PFF grades, Haynes has been dominant and consistent no matter the opponent. He was the only form of offense against Oklahoma in a losing effort, scoring an impressive run grade of 74.0.

WEEK	OPP	OFF	PASS	PASSBLK	RUN	RUNBLK
1	NEW MEX	75.9	66.6	77.8	75.3	60.0
2	OKLA	68.6	47.3	35.7	74.0	59.5
3	CEN. MICH	78.7	63.1	75.4	79.7	59.2
OVERALL		79.8	55.2	62.3	83.5	57.3

Justice Haynes Big Ten Rankings:

Rushing Yards: 1st
Total Touchdowns: 2nd
Rushing Carries: 4th
Rushing Yards per Game: 1st

Nebraska's run defense ranks 59th nationally with a PFF grade of 80.4. Cincinnati is the outlier game with the Huskers giving up 202 rushing yards on the ground, but things looked a lot better in the next two games. The question for the game on Saturday is whether the Blackshirts can control Justice Haynes or will he run wild in Lincoln?

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