With Penn State riding a dominant run through the lower rungs of the B1G, a battle-tested Nebraska Cornhusker squad descended into a raucous 13,000+ Friday night Bryce Jordan Center crowd to test their mettle against the best in the land. The dual outcome was hardly in doubt, but Mark Manning’s team landed some punches, and proved they remain in contention for “best of the rest” as they achieved last March.
Recap
125 lbs – #1 Luke Lilledahl, Penn State Tech Fall Alan Koehler, Nebraska, 20-4
1st
Luke snapped off the opening whistle, pounced on a head-outside single, and methodically climbed
Koehler’s body to score. The Cornhusker hip-heisted away for the escape, and Luke kept snapping, looking for the same attack before finishing a high-crotch for his second takedown. Lilledahl cut him, picked a clean ankle off a collar tie, and looked for wrists and a crossface to ride out the period with 1:33 in advantage time. 9-2
2nd
With Luke differing, Koehler chose bottom and stood for an escape. Lilledahl drove forward, picked another ankle, and tripped Koehler inside his legs for the emphatic finish. He then lined up a bow and arrow, earning 2 near-fall points through pain before the Husker threatened a reversal, which Luke neutralized with a nifty granby-roll, to secure his riding time point in the 2nd stanza. 14-3
3rd
Lilledahl chose neutral, clearing a Koehler underhook before he picked another ankle for a score, released him, and finished a snatch single on his fatigued opponent to pick up the 20-4 Technical Fall in 5:36.
Penn State 5, Nebraska 0
133 lbs – #4 Marcus Blaze, Penn State Dec. #10 Jacob Van Dee, Nebraska, 5-1
1st
From jump street, Van Dee put his palm on Blaze’s forehead, looking to keep space and frustrate Marcus. Blaze swapped tricep control and collar ties as referee J.R. Blose repeatedly asked Van Dee to keep his hands out of the face. Nick Lee counseled Blaze to keep pulling, and Marcus answered by nearly clearing his elbow from a heavy front-headlock, but the Husker was able to keep his legs free. They traded reaches for high-crotches before Blaze hit a crisp fireman’s carry, dumping Van Dee to the mat to score the takedown in short time. 3-0
2nd
The Nebraska All-American switched his hips out for an escape, and was immediately palming Blaze’s face again, prompting a whistle, and in his own words, a 4th verbal warning for hands to the face from Blose. Blaze pulled a collar tie, looked for an ankle pick, and was finally awarded a point for hands to the face. 4-1
3rd
At Cody Sanderson’s suggestion, Blaze chose bottom against the tough-riding Van Dee, stood, and cleared hands for his escape. Van Dee kept blocking with his thumb on Blaze’s forehead, earning another “keep it legal” admonishment. Blaze hit a clean high-crotch as time neared expiration, running out of time to finish, but winning the 5-1 Decision.
Penn State 8, Nebraska 0
141 lbs – #5 Brock Hardy, Nebraska Pinned #12 Braeden Davis, Penn State
1st
Braeden popped a quick club and shot a head-outside single-leg, finishing the opening takedown before the first ten seconds expired. After a couple of violent mat returns that revealed how fired up Davis was, Hardy escaped. Davis immediately misdirected to the same shot, staying low before threatening a cradle to finish a second takedown, taking riding time to over a minute with another strong mat return before Hardy could eventually escape. 6-2
2nd
Davis chose bottom and had to work to escape the tricky Hardy, his riding time advantage reduced to 36 seconds. Braeden kept shooting though, and earned a stall warning on the Cornhusker, before conceding one of his own by evading a Hardy body-lock off the edge, then asking for blood time from a wound on his hand. Davis kicked-started a flurry of action by swinging for a single-leg before Hardy countered with a dump attempt, then Davis was briefly in position to score from rear-standing until Hardy hipped out. Hardy then ducked under a suddenly adrenaline-lacking Davis for the takedown before the buzzer, 7-5
3rd
Hardy stood off the whistle for an escape, and snapped Davis violently, but Braeden recovered with a front-headlock. Davis then secured a head-inside single-leg, but didn’t move decisively to finish and Hardy cooly transitioned from a crotch-lock defense to a nearside cradle, turning Davis for the Fall in 5:55.
Braeden bristled at Hardy’s patronizing belly taps (reminiscent of Bo Nickal’s senior season pin parade) and kicked out at his opponent. The lapse in composure triggered an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, costing Penn State a team point.
Penn State 7, Nebraska 6
149 lbs – #1 Shayne Van Ness, Penn State Dec. #18 Chance Lamer, Nebraska, 12-5
1st
Lamer came out with heavy hands and hard snaps, cutting the corner for an early go-behind takedown. Shayne worked his way up and out, and the two traded fakes and snaps, with Shayne getting close to a leg late, but couldn’t connect. 1-3
2nd
Lamer chose down, and escaped. Shayne worked a 2-on 1, shot a double-leg, and finished with a single, turking the leg, and nearly turning the Cornhusker as lamer went turtle-mode and was warned for stalling as riding time turned to 1:07 in Van Ness’s favor. 4-4
3rd
Shayne took bottom, stood, and escaped, stalking Lamer and scoring off a double-leg near the center of the mat. Van Ness released Lameer, who reached for a single, which Shayne nearly countered. In short time, Van Ness swooped in for a single-leg takedown and the 12-5 Decision.
Penn State 10, Nebraska 6
157 lbs – #5 Antrell Taylor, Nebraska Dec. #3 PJ Duke, Penn State, 2-1 (tb)
1st
Taylor kept space and threw some heavy clubs as PJ looked for tie-ups, getting his hand on Taylor’s calf, but wasn’t able to pull it in. Referee Blose warned both wrestlers for hands to the face, as Taylor seemed to drop to a knee whenever Duke pressured in. Duke shot off an attempted slide-by by Taylor, coming up with the leg, executing that inside leg-trip we saw Lilledahl execute, and momentarily reached scoring position before Taylor hipped in, then skated out of bounds, resulting in a stall warning as Cael threw the challenge brick, wanting the takedown. The reaction-time no-call was upheld, and the period ended 0-0.
2nd
Taylor chose bottom and escaped. Duke looked for his 2-on 1, and Taylor continued to drop to a knee whenever he felt vulnerable, to a crescendo of boos from the BJC crowd. Blose blew the whistle to warn “both of you” for hands. to the face (after Taylor alone had his hand in Duke’s face for 5 straight seconds). 0-1
3rd
Duke chose bottom, and Taylor rode tough for a sequence before releasing Duke on an optional start. Duke kept measured attacks, and Taylor continued to dodge as he looked for his slide-by.
Overtime
Sudden Victory
More of the same, as the wrestlers stayed locked in the center of the mat and traded fakes and measured attacks, but were unable to create any openings. Mic’d up, Blose once intimated “the crowd would like stall call, but they would be wrong” as the crowd boomed with their agreement as time waned. 1-1
Tie-Breaker 1
Duke won the toss and deferred his choice to the 2nd tie-breaker period. Taylor chose bottom and stood, but Duke caught a leg and chin on Taylor’s granby-roll, yielding a 1-count for near-fall that surely would have been challenged by the Penn State corner if they still had a brick to toss (and Scott’s photo above can certainly argue a Fall might have been called), but Taylor escaped after 13 seconds. 1-2
Tie Breaker 2
After discussing tactics with his corner, Duke chose bottom, stood, and tried to turn in for an inside-trip. The strong Taylor was able to fight out of it, and returned Duke to the mat twice to ice the 1-2 Decision.
Penn State 10, Nebraska 9
165 lbs – #1 Mitchell Mesenbrink, Penn State Tech Fall #7 LJ Araujo, Nebraska, 20-5
1st
Mitchell was on Araujo’s left leg before the opening whistle stopped, and while the tricky Cornhusker tried to scramble for a far ankle, Mesenbrink’s motion and position had him finishing the opening takedown in short order. Mitchell held a 2-on-1 as he released Araujo for the escape, dove for the same leg, and kept his head on his opponent’s thigh as he doubled off for the takedown. Mitchell looked for his arm-bar series before deciding to cut again, swam from space for a high-crotch, and cracked down to finish his 3rd takedown. Mesenbrink tried to foot-sweep while cutting again, and shot back in, this time Araujo was able to neutralize with a front-headlock. He kept shooting, and earned a stall warning before fending off a single leg attempt to close the period with 1:02 in riding time advantage. 9-3
2nd
Araujo chose neural and nearly scored a takedown after countering a Mesenbrink shot. Mitchell shot off the restart, anticipated the conrhusker’s roll, and finished a takedown with a leg in. He returned to seeking his arm-bar, but then cut him, hit a wrist-snap with interlocked fingers, and then clapped his hands twice to stoke the fire of the crowd and net a stall point before the end of the period. 13-4
3rd
Mitchell chose bottom and stood with Araujo’s legs draped around him, which yielded a second stall point. On the restart, the Husker tried to slip legs in again, but Mitchell caught the foot, dumped him to the side, and came around for a reversal. After looking for a power half, he cut him, and finished a clean and emphatic double, riding out the period, securing the riding time point for the 20-5 Technical Fall.
Penn State 15, Nebraska 9
174 lbs – #1 Levi Haines, Penn State Dec. #4 Christopher Minto, Nebraska, 8-6
1st
Levi stalked while Minto continued the theme of hands to the forehead/face area to keep distance as he kept to the boundary. Levi dropped to a single attempt as they went out of bounds, Minto was warned for stalling, and Haines shoved the Husker into the scoring table, garnering an unnecessary roughness penalty point for the Nebraska wrestler. After the restart, Minto took a shot, but Haines kept his hips back. Haines fired a head-inside single leg and patiently worked for the neutral-danger count, which Blose waved off at the buzzer. 0-1
2nd
Haines chose bottom and escaped, and the two hand-fought at the center until Minto countered a Haines half-shot with a low single-leg for a takedown. Levi escaped on the restart, stutter-faked, and connected on a deep high-crotch, popping his head out for the takedown in short time. 5-4
3rd
Minto chose bottom and switched off the whistle, threatening a reversal, so Levi pushed him away. The two traded shots and pawed heavy collar ties, refusing to give an inch, and taking the match to the final minute. Levi caught Minto in a front-headlock off a fatigued shot, reached across for the far knee, and put the Cornhusker on his hip for the takedown. Minto granby’d away for an escape, but Levi stuffed his last shot and held on for the 8-6 Decision.
Penn State 18, Nebraska 9
184 lbs – #1 Rocco Welsh, Penn State Maj. Dec. #6 Silas Allred, Nebraska, 14-5
1st
Rocco moved laterally and pulled Allred’s head repeatedly, snapping the collar tie to a gorgeous ankle pick and clean low double-leg finish. He pushed Allred away, pawing at his head as he did. He continued the heavy hands and roped to a head-outside single, finishing with a trip on the edge. Allred stood for an escape and the two traded clubs and collar ties to close the period. 6-2
2nd
Allred chose bottom and stood for an escape before Rocco pressed him to the edge and stepped outside for a single, tripping the Cornhusker to the mat for the takedown. Welsh edged riding times to 1:01 in his favor before Allred stood with hand control for an escape. Rocco reached for an ankle pick as they both hung heavy collar ties and feigned shots. 9-4.
3rd
Welsh took bottom and escaped quickly, then pounced on a double leg, staying with the hold for the finish as Allred elevated him through. Allred again escaped on a restart, and suddenly got aggressive, taking a couple of shots that Welsh dodged, nearly countering for his own score, but ending with the 14-5 Major Decision.
Penn State 22, Nebraska 9
197 lbs – #1 Josh Barr, Penn State Major Dec. #9 Camden McDanel, Nebraska, 21-9
1st
Barr snapped heavily, and lunged for a single-leg, covering the waist for the early score, and riding actively for 38 seconds. McDanel escaped, but Josh dove back into a double leg, breaking the Husker’s grip on his leg for the score. Barr looked for a cradle before cutting, and connected on the 3rd of his rapid fire-shots, finishing with that same inside-leg trip. Josh went optional start, and kept the pressure on, shelving a single for a final takedown of the period, 12-3.
2nd
Barr chose bottom, stood and escaped, then kept shooting, earning a stall warning on McDanel. Barr snapped, dropped to a single, and stepped on the Husker’s foot to finish again. After being cut, McDanel dropped to his own single, clinging to it and forcing a stalemate after Barr tried to counter. 16-4
3rd
McDanel took bottom and escaped, Barr kept snapping, re-shooting off a McDanel shot, snaring the ankle at the edge, pulling him back in and pouncing on the far leg for the takedown, to the delight of the crowd. Josh went optional start, and pushed McDanel into Barr’s sweeping foot, briefly tripping him back to the mat. But McDanel showed fight, hitting a pretty low single and finishing low at the ankles for his own takedown. Barr escaped, snapped, and got to a leg, but McDanel rolled to an ankle and a potentially dangerous call. Josh shot once more, but couldn’t get the neutral danger count started before time expired with the 21-9 Major Decision.
Penn State 26, Nebraska 9
285 lbs – #4 AJ Ferrari, Nebraska Dec. #12 Cole Mirasola, Penn State, 2-1
1st
Per the BTN broadcast, Ferrari weighed in at 227lbs and Mirasola weighed in at 225lbs. Mirasola took space and stalked while Ferrari was content to shuffle his feet at the edge. AJ dropped to a shot, but Cole sprawled out of bounds. Cole seemed frustrated with the space Ferrari was keeping, and jabbed at Ferrari’s chest and prompting him to club in his own frustration. 0-0
2nd
Ferrari took bottom and escaped. They continued their dance, with Cole taking ground and Ferrari stutter-stepping until Cole shot, and on AJ’s reaction, dropped to a low single-leg, almost snaring the far ankle—but Ferrari kicked free. Ferrari began to look fatigued but continued to keep distance. 0-1
3rd
Cole took bottom, and Ferrari kept a wrist and pressured forward. Cole sealed hands at the boundary and nearly kicked free, but action was whistled dead for being out of bounds. Ferrari pleaded his case for blood time, but the referee denied it, and the crowd voiced its displeasure for his slow return to center. Riding time turned over a minute for Ferrari, before Cole finally sealed hands and escaped, but he ran out of time and conceded the 1-2 Decision.
Penn State 26, Nebraska 12
Takeaways
I don’t know about the rest of you—but a little adversity can be an enjoyable thing. Sure, a part of me wanted to see PJ Duke have an undefeated season, or have Braeden Davis’s patented moxie steamroll a skilled technician in Hardy. And at this point, who doesn’t want to see a Ferrari lose?
But gritty wins against competitors content to keep the scoring to a minimum feel good too (see: Blaze’s strong win against the savvy and tactical Van Dee). Asked about the Lions facing these challenges, Cael ruminated:
That is just a tactic we are seeing from most teams. They are jabbing us in the face and backing up. We see it every week, so it is nothing new. We have to be able to close the gap, get in there, get to our tie-ups, and do our thing. It is nothing new; we are used to that. It is hard to wrestle, for sure. Referees do not really call stalling traditionally anymore, so it is just the way it is. We have to get in there and make it happen.
Beating an opponent ready to put it on the line and wrestle to win brings its own just deserts: On Levi’s claw-back to victory against the game Minto:
Obviously, he is wrestling one of the top guys in the country. Losing a point in the first round and then giving up the first takedown, he just had to relax and do his thing. That was good to see; he showed a lot of poise and just tough stuff. The dual score was pretty tight at that point, too, so that is a match that you want to get.
And who wouldn’t be impressed with the offensive output from Rocco Welsh? Known for his close victories as a freshman in the NCAA tournament, it seems like Rocco is thriving in his new Happy Valley home. Cael said:
Rocco [Welsh] looked really good against a really tough opponent. He looks like he is firing on all cylinders and confident. He hit several different takedowns, so he looked good. Everything looks solid. He looks like he is getting better every match.
With two B1G matches remaining before the B1G tourney makes a comeback to the BJC, the Lions are finding out that there are many ways to improve every day, and most of them still involve winning.
The Season Playlist
There were no new songs this week as the starters seem to be settled in for now—as I continue to record home meet walk-out songs, I’ll add any new ones to the season playlist.
Ridge Riley Award Winner: Rocco Welsh
Next Up: The Nittany Lions travel to Ann Arbor to face the Michigan Wolverines on Friday, Feb 6 at 6pm EST (LionVision / Big Ten Network)
