Penn State Wrestling Dismantles Michigan for 67th Straight Win

The Nittany Lions win 10 bouts and don't allow a takedown in a 39-0 Big Ten victory over the Wolverines.

Penn State head coach Cael Sanderson walks over to check on Nittany Lions wrestler Tyler Kasak during a Big Ten match. / Dan Rainville / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The top-ranked Penn State wrestling team dismantled No. 19 Michigan on Friday night, sweeping all 10 bouts for a 39-0 victory, its fifth shutout of the season. The Nittany Lions (11-0) did not allow a takedown in the match in handing the Wolverines their first shutout loss since 2010. Penn State, meanwhile, won its 67th consecutive match, a streak that has surpassed five years.

According to DraftKings, Penn State entered the match as a 38.5-point favorite, meaning the Nittany Lions covered an imporbable spread. After the match, Penn State coach Cael Sanderson said the Nittany Lions wrestled "fine."

"These guys went out and did what they needed to do," a typically understated Sanderson told reporters in State College after the match. "... The guys wrestled well, and we'll just be ready for Sunday [against Maryland]."

Penn State scored 20 takedowns without allowing any and got bonus points from four wrestlers. Freshman Luke Lilledahl (125 pounds) opened the match with a fall, and Levi Haines added one at 174 pounds. Josh Barr scored the Nittany Lions' biggest win of the night, defeating Michigan's undefeated, second-ranked Jacob Cardenas 3-2 in overtime. After trading escapes through regulation time. the wrestlers entered the tiebreaker period tied at 1-1. After Cardenas escaped, Barr scored the win on a dramatic reversal with 5 seconds remaining in the tiebreaker.

Barr (11-1) took on the nation's first- and second-ranked wrestlers in back-to-back matches at the Bryce Jordan Center. After falling to Iowa's top-ranked Stephen Buchanan 5-1 last week, his first loss in college, Barr rebounded with the highest-ranked victory of his career.

"Honestly, I thought I could have wrestled better tonight," Barr told reporters after the match. "... It's a blessing being in the Big Ten at my weight class with our schedule. It worked out well; two big matches in the BJC. It's preparation for nationals."

Josh Barr battles it out for the win💪#PSUwr pic.twitter.com/43fHaOrCRD

— Penn State WRESTLING (@pennstateWREST) February 8, 2025

Elsewhere on Friday night at the Bryce Jordan Center:

At 125, freshman Luke Lilledahl (12-1) began the third period with an escape to take a 7-2 lead over Christian Tanefeu and then went to work. Lilledahl turned a takedown into a cradle for the fall in 5:38.

At 133, Penn State'sKyison Garcia, wrestling in his first dual of the season, scored a 4-1 win over Nolan Wertanen. Garcia wrestled in place of the injured Braeden Davis, who missed his second consecutive match.

At 141, unbeaten Beau Bartlett (14-0) edged 12th-ranked Sergio Lemley 3-2, turning a reversal into riding time for the victory.

At 149, third-ranked Shayne Van Ness (13-1) had little trouble producing a 7-1 win over Michigan's Dylan Gilcher. One bout later at 157, Tyler Kasak hit two takedowns and built more than 2 minutes of riding time in a 7-2 decision over Zack Mattin. Penn State took an 18-0 lead at the break.

Action resumed at 165, where newly minted No. 1 Mitchell Mesenbrink wrestled his first 7-minute bout of the season. Mesenbrink scored a comfortable 18-4 major decision over No. 10 Beau Mantanona, finishing one point shy of his 13th technical fall of the year. Mesenbrink was his usual dominant self, scoring five takedowns and accumulating nearly 3 minutes of riding time.

At 174, Levi Haines worked his sixth pin of the season, a first-period fall vs. Joseph Walker. Carter Starocci (184) remained unbeaten with a comfortable 17-4 technical fall over Michigan's Jaden Bullock. Starocci wouldn't relent before getting the technical fall, cutting Walker loose with 30 seconds left in the third period to score his final takedown.

Heavyweight Greg Kerkvliet capped the shutout with a 6-0 win over eighth-ranked Josh Heindselman. Kerkvliet scored a takedown and a reversal and finished with 2:27 of riding time.

"I think we have a really good team this year and they're very solid," Sanderson told reporters after the match. "We have 10 good guys, 10 good weight classes, and we have guys that are ready to jump in there if the opportunity arises. We love our team, and we're just going to keep getting better. I know that's been said a few times, but that's the plan."

Up Next

Penn State hosts Maryland for a Sunday afternoon Big Ten dual at Rec Hall. The match begins at noon and will be streamed on B1G+.

More Penn State Wrestling

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What we learned from Penn State's 30-8 win over Iowa

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