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Bout-by-Bout Recap of Penn State Wrestling's Big Ten Win Over Nebraska

The Nittany Lions won their NCAA-record 83rd consecutive match, though not with some challenges from the Cornhuskers.
Mark Wogenrich|
Penn State Nittany Lions wrestling oach Cael Sanderson watches his team wrestle the Iowa Hawkeyes at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
Penn State Nittany Lions wrestling oach Cael Sanderson watches his team wrestle the Iowa Hawkeyes at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. | Reese Strickland-Imagn Images

Penn State ran its NCAA-record win streak to 83 matches with a 26-12 victory over Nebraska that nevertheless produced some beads of sweat for the Nittany Lions. Nebraska has wrestled Penn State better than anyone over the last three seasons and did so again Friday at the Bryce Jordan Center.

The sixth-ranked Cornhuskers became the first team to win three bouts against the Nittany Lions since their 2024 team won four in a 22-13 loss in State College. Penn State (12-0) also gave up its first dual-meet pin of the season, losing a team point in the process, and freshman PJ Duke sustained his first college loss.

Though their shutout streak ended at three, the Nittany Lions improved to 6-0 in the Big Ten with two conference matches remaining. And Penn State football coach Matt Campbell made an appearance before dropping the puck for Saturday's outdoor hockey game at Beaver Stadium.

Here's the recap of Penn State's win over Nebraska.

Penn State 26, Nebraska 12

125: No. 1 Luke Lilledahl (Penn State) tech. fall Alan Koehler 20-4 in 5:36

Lilledahl kicked off the match with another technically sound performance, scoring 20 points in his seventh technical fall of the season. Lilledahl (14-0) has won his last four bouts by pin or technical fall since defeating Iowa’s Dean Peterson in Iowa City.

133: No. 4 Marcus Blaze (PS) dec. No. 10 Jacob Van Dee 5-1

Blaze scored the bout’s only takedown in the first period, then tacked on points (one via an illegal hold) to run his record to 16-0. The Penn State freshman has proved he can win against a variety of wrestling styles, including tightly wound opponents like Van Dee.

Blaze has beaten three top-10 wrestlers this season, decisioning two (Van Dee and Iowa’s Drake Ayala) and pinning one (Stanford’s Tyler Knox). He also has wins over nine ranked wrestlers overall.

141: No. 4 Brock Hardy (N) pin No. 12 Braeden Davis 5:55

Hardy, the Nebraska veteran who recently won his 100th career bout, spun the bout quickly, turning a potential Penn State decision into a Cornhuskers pin in seconds. Davis scored two first-period takedowns and led 7-6 in the third, when Hardy hit a beautiful cradle. The pin was the first conceded by Penn State in a dual match this season.

Penn State also had a team point deducted after the bout: Hardy patted Davis' chest, and Davis responded with a kick.

149: No. 1 Shayne Van Ness (PS) dec. No. 18 Chance Lamer 12-5

For the second straight bout, the unbeaten Van Ness gave up the first takedown. He also rallied for a 12-5 decision by scoring three more takedown and grabbing the riding-time point.

This bout was different from Van Ness' 31-15 technical fall vs. Indiana's seventh-ranked Carter Young. Lamer didn't let Van Ness get into a scoring rhythm but also could didn't get close to another score. Van Ness improved to 15-0.

157: No. 5 Antrell Taylor (N) dec. No. 3 PJ Duke 3-1

The match's main event disappointed only in that Penn State fans wanted Taylor hit with stalling late in the third period. The defending NCAA champ at 157 didn't take many chances against the unbeaten Penn State freshman, instead wrestling a cagey (fans considered it passive) bout and turning to his experience in the tiebreaker.

Taylor, who has won 10 straight bouts, escaped in the first tiebreaker after slithering out of potential back points from a slick Duke turn. Taylor then rode out Duke for the next 30-second tiebreaker, taking him to the mat twice. The loss was the first of the season for Duke (13-1) against by far his toughest opponent.

165: No. 1 Mitchell Mesenbrink (PS) tech. fall No. 7 LJ Araujo 20-5 in 7:00

Perhaps the most surprising moment of the match occurred in the second period at 157, when Mesenbrink received a stall warning. That just never happens with the nation's most aggressive wrestler.

Otherwise, Mesenbrink (16-0) wrestled his usually aggressive bout, soring seven takedowns and drawing two stalling points. Mesenbrink has scored bonus points in all 15 of the bouts he has wrestled (not including one forfeit) and has 13 pins or technical falls. He also pushed his win streak to 43 consecutive bouts.

174: No. 1 Levi Haines (PS) dec. No. 4 Christopher Minto 8-6

This bout had another uncharacteristic moment for Penn State, as Minto received a penaly point after Haines was called for shoving him nearly off the platform. Haines looked for a takedown late in the period but didn't have time to finish it.

Minto delivered another surprise in the second period, scoring just the third takedown against Haines this season to take a 4-1 lead. Haines escaped and took the lead with a takedown in the final 10 seconds of the period.

Tied 5-5 in the third, Haines turned on Minto for the decisive takedown with 40 seconds left. Minto took one more late shot and gave Haines one of his toughest bouts of the season.

184: No. 1 Rocco Welsh (PS) dec. No. 6 Silas Allred 14-5

Welsh (14-0) was methodical in scoring his ninth bonus-point win of the season, made even more impressive by doing so against a returning NCAA All-American and 2023 Big Ten champ at 197, Welsh scored two takedowns within the first half of the first period and cruised from their to his four major decision of the season.

197: No. 1 Josh Barr (PS) vs. No. 9 Camden McDanel 21-9

Barr (13-0) just toyed with a top-10 wrestler early, scoring four takedowns in the first period for a 12-3 lead. He began the third period with a 16-4 lead and opened the third with a supremely athletic move. Barr had McDanel by an ankle, pulled him back into the circle and regrabbed for the takedown. A wow moment.

Barr appeared headed toward the technical fall, but McDanel countered to score the first takedown against Barr in a dual match this season. Barr settled for the major.

285: No. 4 AJ Ferrari (N) dec. No. 12 Cole Mirasola 2-1

Ferrari, the 2021 NCAA champ at 197, goaded the crowd and did a split after a laborious decision over Mirasola. The Cornhusker rode Mirasola for nearly the entire third period, clinching one point for riding time that was the difference. Mirascola escaped with 12 seconds left in the third, but Ferrari dodged any offensive move for the win.

Ferrari had just a two-pound edge over Mirasola (227-225) but was just stronger on top in the third. The loss ended Mirasola's seven-bout win streak.

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Mark Wogenrich
MARK WOGENRICH

Mark Wogenrich is the editor and publisher of Penn State on SI, the site for Nittany Lions sports on the Sports Illustrated network. He has covered Penn State sports for more than two decades across three coaching staffs, three Rose Bowls and one College Football Playoff appearance.

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