No. 6 Nebraska Wrestling Wins Three Bouts but Falls 26

In a clash of Big Ten heavyweights, the No. 1 Penn State wrestling team hosted No. 6 Nebraska on Friday night inside a packed Bryce Jordan Center. Nebraska earned three individual victories and stayed within striking distance early. However, Penn State ultimately pushed the Nittany Lions to a 26–12 dual win.

Nebraska Welcomes College Wrestling’s Gold Standard

The loss marked Nebraska’s third straight defeat, though the opponent adds critical context. Penn State entered the night with six wrestlers ranked No. 1 nationally. Against that backdrop, Nebraska’s performance featured several moments that showed exactly why the Huskers remain among the nation’s elite.

Final: NU 12, PSU 26.
— Nebraska Wrestling (@HuskerWrestling) January 31, 2026

The loudest moment of the night came at 141 pounds. No. 4 Brock Hardy, battling through an up-and-down senior season, faced Penn State’s No. 12 Braeden Davis. The bout started poorly for Hardy, as Davis scored a takedown just 11 seconds in and built a 7–2 lead.

Hardy never panicked. A late second-period takedown brought him back into the match, and after an early third-period escape, he seized his moment. Hardy executed a perfectly timed flip, locked in a cradle, and pinned Davis in a stunning comeback that sent the Devaney Center into chaos.

At 157 pounds, junior No. 5 Antrell Taylor delivered one of the most impressive wins of the night, defeating No. 3 PJ Duke in a tense tiebreaker decision. The bout featured early controversy when Duke nearly finished a one-legged takedown before Taylor worked his way outside the circle. That resulted in a stall warning and an unsuccessful Penn State challenge.

After regulation ended tied 1–1 and a scoreless sudden-victory period followed, Taylor took control in the tiebreakers. He earned an escape and controlled positioning to secure a 2–1 victory. The win pulled Nebraska within one point at intermission, trailing just 10–9, and kept the dual firmly in reach.

Nebraska Turns Its Focus Forward

No. 4 AJ Ferrari added Nebraska’s third victory with a 2–1 decision over Penn State freshman No. 12 Cole Mirasola. Improving to 9–2 on the season, Ferrari leaned into a tactical approach that has defined his year.

After a scoreless first period and an escape early in the second, Ferrari nearly gave up a takedown late but used strong edge defense to force a reset. Much like his earlier 2–1 win over Minnesota’s No. 10 Koy Hopke, Ferrari controlled the third period and closed the door to seal the decision.

Nebraska stayed competitive through the first half of the dual, but Penn State separated itself after the break. At 174 pounds, No. 4 Christopher Minto pushed top-ranked Levi Haines to the brink before Haines scored a late third-period takedown to earn an 8–5 win.

At 184, No. 1 Rocco Welsh secured a 14–5 major decision over No. 6 Silas Allred. At 197, No. 1 Josh Barr piled up four first-period takedowns on his way to a 21–9 major decision against No. 9 Camden McDanel. Earlier, at 165, Nebraska freshman No. 7 LJ Araujo fell to reigning national champion No. 1 Mitchell Mesenbrink by a 20–5 technical fall.

The dual began at 125 pounds, where freshman Alan Koehler battled but lost 20–4 by technical fall to No. 1 Luke Lilledahl. At 133, No. 10 Jacob Van Dee stayed competitive with No. 4 Marcus Blaze before falling 5–1. At 149, No. 18 Chance Lamer led No. 1 Shayne Van Ness 4–1 in the second period, but Van Ness rallied for a 12–5 decision.

Nebraska now sits at 3–3 and will look to halt its skid next Sunday, February 8, when it hosts Northwestern at the Bob Devaney Sports Center. The dual is scheduled for a 1 p.m. CT start and will stream on Big Ten Plus.

No. 6 Nebraska Wrestling Wins Three Bouts but Falls 26–12 to Penn State

Nebraska Welcomes College Wrestling’s Gold Standard

Nebraska Turns Its Focus Forward

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