Quartet of Nebraska running backs puts positive spin on co-No. 1 status in strong debut

Rahmir Johnson and Gabe Ervin held grins reflecting on their first game action in nearly a year coming back from injuries. Emmett Johnson marveled at the variety of skillsets in the position group. Dante Dowdell spoke in low tones both lamenting a lost fumble and relishing a touchdown in his Husker debut.

NU entered the game with the four players co-No. 1s on the depth chart. The quartet finished the 40-7 victory over UTEP with the same lack of separation — though they made a case that it could be a good thing moving forward.

“I guess you guys got a sneak peek of that today,” Emmett Johnson said. “We’ve got a lot more to prove as a group.”

Nebraska’s least-defined position looked like a clear asset in a dominant season opener. The four lead backs combined for 33 attempts for 200 yards — just north of six yards per carry — in barely more than a half of work. Ervin bagged a pair of short touchdowns. Dowdell added another.

Coach Matt Rhule had said all four backs would see action before intermission, and all did. Rahmir Johnson took the first carry for six yards. Dowdell had the next one for two — the 6-foot-2, 225-pounder continued the opening drive by running over Miner defenders to convert a third and 2 and third and 3.

Emmett Johnson came on during the third possession. Then Ervin in the sixth, eventually finishing the drive with a 3-yard push up the middle as the Huskers went ahead 23-7.

“We’ve just got to keep on feeding off of that energy,” Ervin said. “We’ve got a lot of games left and we just gotta keep on toting the rock.”

Emmett Johnson (eight carries for 71 yards), Dowdell (eight for 55), Rahmir Johnson (11 for 50) and Ervin (six for 24) each popped a run for double-digit yardage. Emmett Johnson’s 42-yarder — on a played checked in and out of three times by quarterback Dylan Raiola — in the second quarter helped set up the Ervin finish as NU pulled away.

The Raiola effect went beyond highlight-reel deep balls to receivers for touchdowns, the running backs agreed. UTEP didn’t crowd the box on them like Big Ten teams did last season. It couldn’t.

“They didn’t know if we were going to run or pass, which is kind of crazy because last year people thought we were just going to be running the ball,” Emmett Johnson said. “But now we can do both. You really can’t scout and plan for having guys who can make plays in the receiving corps and running backs who can run the ball.”

Almost none of the ground yardage came from quarterback carries, long a staple — and often a crutch — of recent Nebraska offenses. QB Heinrich Haarberg entered sporadically and ran twice for 8 yards. The Huskers otherwise leaned on their traditional running backs. So in hand was the game late that other rushers earned rare carries in Maurice Mazzccua (five for 8 yards), Kwinten Ives (three for 4), Kenneth Williams (one for 5) and Mekhi Nelson (one for 2).

A Nebraska back made just one catch — Emmett Johnson’s 5-yarder on a swing play to open the third quarter. Raiola didn’t need to check down often.

“I was pleased with the whole group,” Rhule said.

Each back features something different, they agreed. The Johnsons as catch-run threats, with Rahmir boasting top-end sprinting speed. Dowdell as the bruiser. Ervin with some wiggle between the tackles.

Best of all, Ervin said, they leave envy and selfishness at the door.

“Don’t get too jealous of the other people’s success but stay together,” Ervin said. “Because your time is going to come one day.”

They all had chances as the curtain went up on the season. It might not always be that way with injuries, hot hands and game plans. They’re fine with it — more than fine if Nebraska keeps winning.

Co-No. 1s on paper. Feature backs in their own hearts.

“We like to push each other each week,” Rahmir Johnson said. “… Don’t be surprised when each week one person might go off, two people might go off. It’s going to be somebody new every week.”