Nebraska went into the literal (Nittany) Lions’ den and put a scare into the top program in the country. In a matchup between the top two teams at the NCAA Championships last year, #6 Nebraska went into the intermission
down just 10-9 against a team that’s not used to losing matches, but top-ranked Penn State flexed its muscle in the upper weights to earn the 26-12 win over the Huskers.
Penn State hasn’t lost more than two matches in a dual all year and hasn’t lost more than one in a dual where they used all their starters — even against Iowa they won 32-3 by winning nine matches. Nebraska went into Bryce Jordan Center and took three matches against a full Penn State lineup.
Despite losing the dual, that was a statement from Nebraska to the rest of the field.
Even in some of the matches Nebraska lost, the Huskers did some good things — including scoring takedowns against a pair of No. 1-ranked wrestlers who don’t get taken down very often.
On with the recap!
Weight-By-Weight Recap
125 pounds
Facing top-ranked Luke Lilledahl of Penn State, Nebraska sophomore Alan Koehler was just outmatched.
Lilledahl scored six takedowns in the match, including two quick takedowns in the third period. Koehler dropped the match via 20-3 technical fall, putting Nebraska in a 5-0 hole to start the dual.
With the loss, Koehler is now 10-12 on the year.
133 pounds
In a tough matchup against an undefeated two-time age-level World Champion in #6 Marcus Blaze, Nebraska’s #10 Jacob Van Dee dropped his third straight match.
Blaze hit a nice dump for a takedown in the first period before letting his sound defensive positioning secure the win for him. Van Dee scored an escape to start the second period, but he dropped the match 5-1.
Blaze had scored bonus points in 14 of his 15 wins before this match, so Van Dee and two-time NCAA finalist Drake Ayala of Iowa (4-2 decision) are now the only wrestlers to keep him to a decision.
With the loss, Van Dee is now 12-4 on the year.
141 pounds
In what was the match of the dual up until this point, Nebraska’s #3 Brock Hardy fell behind big in the first period when #13 Braeden Davis of Penn State took him down off the whistle and added another takedown to go up 6-2.
In the second, Davis scored an escape after Hardy cut his riding time down under a minute, but Hardy hit a late duck-under for a takedown, cutting the deficit to 7-5.
After scoring an escape to start the third, Hardy cut the corner beautifully off a Davis low shot, putting the Nittany Lion junior on his back in a cradle for the pinfall.
Hardy patted Davis on the stomach after the ref slapped the Resilite, eliciting a kick from Davis that cost the Nittany Lions a team point.
With the pinfall win, Hardy improved to 14-4 on the year and cut the Penn State lead to 7-6. Hardy now leads all Husker starters with 10 bonus-point wins, including a team-leading four pins.
149 pounds
Facing off against top-ranked Shayne Van Ness of Penn State, Nebraska’s #13 Chance Lamer started strong but fell in the end.
Lamer hit an early go-behind to go up 3-0 in the first period — he then went up 4-1 with a second-period escape. After that, Van Ness scored a takedown in the second off a double-leg to tie the match at 4-4.
In the third, Van Ness took the lead with an escape before scoring two more takedowns to ice the match 12-5 via decision.
With the loss, Lamer is now 12-4 on the year for the Huskers.
157 pounds
In what was the match of the weekend in college wrestling, Nebraska’s #5 Antrell Taylor — the returning NCAA Champion at the weight — took on #2 PJ Duke of Penn State. Coming in a perfect 13-0 on the year, the Nittany Lion true freshman lost his first collegiate match to Taylor.
Much like he did against then-undefeated true freshman Landon Robideau of Oklahoma State when he was ranked #2 in December, Taylor used impressive defense and an impressive mat game to get the win in tiebreakers.
Both Taylor and Duke traded escapes in regulation, sending the match to sudden victory where they went scoreless. In the first tiebreaker, Taylor started on bottom first and scored an escape in 13 seconds to go up 2-1.
In the second tiebreaker, Taylor started on top and used his body lock game to return the freshman to the mat multiple times before lifting him up and carrying him around for the final few seconds and the ride-out for the 2-1 win.
With his 10th-straight win, Taylor improved to 16-2 on the year and cut the Penn State lead to 10-9 at the intermission.
165 pounds
This is where Penn State really took back control with its first of four straight top-ranked wrestlers. Nebraska’s #7 LJ Araujo faced #1 Mitchell Mesenbrink here and struggled to handle the National Champion’s pace.
Despite showing some nice defense, even forcing a stall call on Mesenbrink in the second period, Araujo gave up five total takedowns, multiple stall calls and a riding-time point, dropping the match via 20-5 tech.
With the loss, Araujo is now 11-6 on the year.
174 pounds
Nebraska’s #4 Christopher Minto got his first career shot at #1 Levi Haines in this dual.
In the first period, Minto scored a penalty point when Haines drove him out of bounds and pushed him off the raised mat into the scoring table, a dangerous move by the Nittany Lion senior that really didn’t sit well with anyone.
Haines then tied the match 1-1 with an escape to start the second period, but it was Minto who hit a re-attack on Haines for the 4-1 lead. After an escape, Haines scored a late takedown in the second to go up 5-4 going into the third and final period.
Minto rolled early from bottom for an escape to tie the match early in the third, but Haines scored the deciding takedown later in the period to go up 8-5. After a Minto escape, Haines won the match 8-6 via decision, setting up an interesting potential rematch at Big Tens.
With the loss, Minto is now 14-4 on the year but showed that he’s competitive with the top guy at his weight class.
184 pounds
Facing #1 Rocco Welsh of Penn State, Nebraska’s #6 Silas Allred was unable to get to his offense or defense at times.
A former NCAA finalist, Welsh took Allred down four times in a 14-5 win via major decision, pushing the Penn State lead to 22-9.
With the loss, Allred is now 12-6 on the year.
197 pounds
Facing an opponent in #1 Josh Barr who has teched him twice in his career, Nebraska’s #10 Camden McDanel struggled but showed late that he doesn’t quit.
Barr took down McDanel four times in the first period before adding an escape and a takedown in the second to go up 16-4. Hunting for the tech in the third, Barr cut McDanel for an escape before scoring his sixth takedown, but it was McDanel who answered with a low shot for a takedown, cutting the deficit to 19-9.
In the end, McDanel fell 21-9 via major decision, but him getting that late takedown against someone as good as Barr was encouraging.
McDanel is now 14-5 on the year with the loss.
285 pounds
At heavyweight, Nebraska’s #4 AJ Ferrari took the mat against Penn State’s #9 Cole Mirasola.
After a scoreless first period, Ferrari escaped quickly to start the second period to go up 1-0. Ferrari then put on a hard ride in the third, locking up the riding-time point before surrendering a late escape, earning the 2-1 decision win with the riding-time point.
Ferrari is now 9-2 on the year with multiple wins over top opponents — guys ranked #5, #7, #9, #10, and #12. His two losses have come against #3 Nick Feldman of Ohio State.
