Emmett Johnson had a productive day for the Nebraska football team on Saturday and hopes to continue that trend in the coming months.

“We expect to dominate in the running back room,” Johnson said Wednesday night on Sports Nightly. “We give it our all in practice. Coach EJ (Barthel) really pushes us, so we expect us to go out there and give it our all. That’s no different than what we do in practice.”

The Huskers’ best runner against UTEP added that the running backs were successful because they “trusted their training,” which allowed them to run confidently and “as fast as they can.” The Minnesota sophomore added that the backfield took pride in its defense and pass reception.

Johnson had the most productive running day among the Big Red’s running backs in the season opener, carrying the ball eight times for 71 yards. He added that the offense’s running success starts with the offensive line.

“It was a great feeling to be back out there with those guys, but I give all the credit to the O-line. I couldn’t have done it without them, the running backs couldn’t have run the ball well without them. But most of all, it was a great feeling to get a win,” Johnson said.

Johnson got most of his 71 yards in the second quarter on a 42-yard run that saw him sprint through the Miners defense before being brought down inside the five-yard line. Senior back Gabe Ervin capped the drive with a touchdown. Matt Rhule explained in his postgame press conference on Saturday that first-year starter Dylan Raiola changed the play at the line, allowing Johnson to break free.

“Dylan reconstructed the whole game,” Johnson said. “He saw what their defense looked like. He checked out, checked back, then checked back again. He changed the game three times.”

Johnson continued, saying that the inside zone run allowed for exactly what the Big Red had been practicing leading up to the game. He added that he wants to continue to be “explosive” in all of his runs. The running back praised his starting quarterback, saying that Raiola is years ahead of his age.

“It gives the offense a lot of confidence because Dylan is a rookie, but he’s mature. (He) approaches everything like a pro. It’s great to have someone like him in the backfield with me,” Johnson said.

The Minneapolis native noted that the game is “slowing down” for him because of his extensive film study. The entire running back room did their part, leading the offense to a total of 223 rushing yards against UTEP. Johnson mentioned that the game plan for this weekend’s game against Colorado is similar to the season opener.

“Focus on us. Focus on our offense, trust what we’re doing in practice and go from there. Focus on us. It’s not really about our opponent. We’re going to respect them, but as long as we’re playing Nebraska football, we should be fine,” Johnson said.

Johnson added that he was “thrilled with the atmosphere” in Lincoln and said the Colorado crowd at Folsom Field last season was “crazy.”

The Huskers continue to prepare for Saturday night’s game against their longtime rival, the Colorado Buffaloes, at Memorial Stadium. Watch the full episode of “Sports Nightly” below:

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