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No. 6 Nebraska Wrestling Falls One Point Short Against No. 2 Ohio State

Nebraska wrestling comes up falls in one-point battle with Ohio State.
Shayni Maitra|
Antrell Taylor's win at 157 sparked a rally that would see the Huskers climb all the way out of a 14-0 hole.
Antrell Taylor's win at 157 sparked a rally that would see the Huskers climb all the way out of a 14-0 hole. | Amarillo Mullen

The Devaney Center was ready for something special on Sunday afternoon. And for nearly two hours, No. 6 Nebraska wrestling delivered exactly that.

Just two days after a grueling battle with Iowa, the Huskers stepped back onto the mat with a chance to reshape their Big Ten narrative against No. 2 Ohio State. What followed was a dramatic, charged duel that came down to the final seconds, with Nebraska falling heartbreakingly short in a 17–16 loss.

A Narrow Loss in a High-Stakes Season for the Nebraska Wrestlers

Earlier this winter, Ohio State dominated Nebraska 33–3 at the National Duals Invitational.

With the latest defeat, Nebraska moves to 9–5 overall and 2–2 in Big Ten competition. Ohio State, meanwhile, remains unbeaten at 14–0 and 3–0 in conference action. Despite the loss, Nebraska’s ability to push one of the nation’s elite programs to the brink reaffirmed its status. It is because of a legitimate contender in one of college wrestling’s toughest leagues.

Nebraska dropped the opening four bouts at 125, 133, 141, and 149 pounds, quickly finding itself trailing 14–0. The Huskers struggled to generate offense early, finishing the day with just six total takedowns.

At 125, redshirt freshman Kael Lauridsen suffered a 16–4 major decision loss to No. 2 Nic Bouzakis. No. 8 Jacob Van Dee followed with a hard-fought 7–2 defeat against No. 2 Ben Davino at 133.

The challenge intensified at 141. That's where No. 3 Brock Hardy ran into reigning national champion No. 1 Jesse Mendez, falling 14–3 by major decision. At 149, No. 14 Chance Lamer pushed No. 4 Ethan Stiles to sudden victory before conceding a 6–3 overtime decision.

Nebraska finally found its spark at 157 pounds. With Ohio State scratching No. 1 Brandon Cannon late, No. 5 Antrell Taylor seized the moment against Maddox Shaw. Taylor delivered Nebraska’s first takedowns of the dual and controlled the match from start to finish, earning an 11–3 major decision.

The win was Taylor’s ninth straight and pushed his season record to 15–2. That injected life back into the Devaney Center and shifted the momentum.

Nebraska Takes the Lead Late

The rally continued at 165, where No. 7 LJ Araujo responded to Friday’s disappointment with a composed 1–0 victory over Ethan Birden. A second-period escape proved decisive in a tightly contested bout.

The loudest moment of the afternoon came at 174. No. 6 Christopher Minto faced No. 4 Carson Kharchla in a tense battle that remained tied after regulation. In a sudden victory, Minto scored a clutch takedown to secure a 4–1 win. His highest-ranked victory of the season, cutting the team score to 14–10 and igniting the crowd.

At 184, No. 7 Silas Allred kept the comeback alive. Following an exchange of escapes and an injury stoppage that sent No. 5 Dylan Fishback into concussion protocol, Allred earned a fifth-period escape to claim a 2–1 tiebreaker victory, pulling Nebraska within one point.

The Huskers briefly completed the comeback at 197. No. 9 Camden McDanel and No. 10 Luke Geog traded blows before McDanel delivered a dramatic last-second takedown for a 9–6 decision. For the first time all afternoon, Nebraska led, 16–14.

Everything came down to heavyweight. No. 4 AJ Ferrari and No. 3 Nick Feldman battled to a 1–1 tie through regulation. In sudden victory, Feldman found the decisive takedown, earning a 4–1 win and sealing Ohio State’s 17–16 victory. The loss dropped Ferrari to 8–2 and left a stunned Devaney Center in silence.

The Huskers head to University Park on Friday, Jan. 30, to face No. 1 Penn State. The dual is set for 7 p.m. CST and will air on the Big Ten Network.

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Shayni Maitra
SHAYNI MAITRA

Shayni Maitra is a sports girl through and through writing about everything from locker room drama to game-day legends in the NFL and NBA. She’s covered the action for outlets like College Sports Network, Sportskeeda, EssentiallySports, NB Media, and PinkVilla, blending sharp takes with a deep love for storytelling. Whether it’s college football rivalries, Olympic gold-chasers, or the off-field chaos that keeps Twitter alive, Shayni brings the heat with heart—and just the right amount of humor.

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