NEBRASKA CITY – Husker Radio Network analyst Damon Benning called Nebraska running back Emmett Johnson a ‘human eraser’ at the Big Red Buzz gathering at Valentino’s in Nebraska City Thursday.

Johnson is the first player among P4 conferences to surpass 1,000 all-purpose yards this season. Benning said blockers don't have to be perfect.

Benning: “He’s so good at making the first guy miss. He doesn’t make you have to be perfect up front. I don’t know, we could be living on borrowed time. It helps when you block those guys, but he’s like the human eraser.

He’s what happens when you have an offensive coordinator that says I want to get my best guy on your guy and my guy will win.”

He compared Johnson to Lavonte David, a linebacker under Coach Bo Pelini. David, an all-American with 133 tackles in 2011, was described as a key player even outside the structured system.

Benning says running backs coach E.J. Barthel deserves recognition.

He said 2024 running back Dante Dowdell was better when he left Nebraska for Kentucky and said Johnson was developing when Offensive Coordinator Dana Holgorsen arrived last November.

Benning said Johnson is evidence that running backs are developing at Nebraska.

Benning: “How can we be honest with ourselves and say ‘we didn’t like the running back room going in and now we’re like, this guy is our best player.’

He’s the same guy outside of what? Development. His coach has to get some credit, doesn’t he?”

He said E.J. is tough and competitive and really smart.

Benning: “He knows now, when he makes guys miss, where’s the next most available big-play space. He’s not just busy being busy. … He has a really good feel for where the next defender is. – That’s coaching.”

“He can see where to make moves on the next defender. He’s not just worried about making him miss (the next man). He’s like if I make him miss, where are you and then where are you and where’s that goal line? He sees it all at once. That’s how he runs the ball.”

He said success against the University of Southern California next Saturday will be decided by players doing their 1/11 (one of eleven is an idiom for each player doing his job).

Benning offered a prediction of a Nebraska overtime win over USC 31 to 28.