Penn State Wrestling Nears Another Major Milestone
Cael Sanderson achieved a milestone as the Penn State wrestling coach on Friday at Iowa. The Nittany Lions return home Monday, when they can join a short list of college wrestling programs with 1,000 victories.
No. 1 Penn State hosts No. 14 Rutgers at the Bryce Jordan Center seeking the program's 1,000th dual-meet victory. Penn State would become just the sixth Division I college wrestling program with 1,000 wins. The Nittany Lions would join Oklahoma State, Iowa State, Oregon State, Iowa and Minnesota, which most recently achieved the milestone in 2021.
Penn State has sponsored wrestling since 1908, when the team fell to Cornell in its only match of the season. In his 15 seasons as Penn State's head coach, Sanderson has won 20 percent of the program's matches. Sanderson improved his Penn State record to 200-16-2 with a 29-6 win over No. 3 Iowa, the team's most lopsided ever against the Hawkeyes.
Penn State potentially could celebrate history in front of another record crowd at the Bryce Jordan Center. The venue has hosted the eight largest indoor crowds to witness a college wrestling match, most recently entertaining 15,998 fans for the 2023 Penn State-Iowa match. Here's a look at Monday's Penn State vs. Rutgers match.
Penn State (9-0) vs. Rutgers (10-4)
When: 7 p.m. ET Monday
Where: Bryce Jordan Center, State College, Pa.
TV: Big Ten Network
Streaming: FuboTV (start your free trial)
About the Nittany Lions
Top-ranked Penn State claimed its 53rd consecutive dual at Iowa, overwhelming the Hawkeyes by winning eight of 10 bouts. Iowa won one of those in sudden victory. No team has come close to competing with Penn State in a dual this season, and the last team with even a respectable chance is No. 4 Nebraska, which Penn State will host Feb. 18 to close the Big Ten regular season. The Nittany Lions likely will finish a fifth consecutive season unbeaten and extend their win streak to 56, which still is a few seasons from breaking the NCAA Division I record. Oklahoma State and Iowa share the mark at 84. This Penn State team is 24-0 all-time against Rutgers, and its projected starting lineup will be favored in all 10 bouts. Sanderson could choose to rest a few starters, though he does like having wrestlers weigh-in for turnaround matches to begin preparing them for the postseason. However, Penn State also will wrestle before its biggest crowd of the regular season, so Sanderson might want to deliver the best show possible as well.
Penn State vs. Rutgers matchups to watch
The most competitive bout should be at 133 pounds, where Penn State's sixth-ranked Aaron Nagao takes on No. 10 Dylan Shawver. The Rutgers junior won a 5-4 decision over Ohio State's Nic Bouzakis, who defeated Nagao in their dual.
Penn State freshman Braeden Davis (125 pounds) has wrestled back-to-back nail-biters, holding off Ohio State's Vinny Kilkeary before losing to Iowa's Drake Ayala. Rutgers redshirt sophomore Dean Peterson (9-4) is a top-20 wrestler with a 2-3 record against Big Ten competition. This should be a bounceback opportunity for Davis. At 184, Rutgers' Brian Soldano is coming off a pin of Ohio State's Ryder Rogotzke, who pinned Penn State's Bernie Truax. Soldano is another pinner, with four this season. Rutgers has a strong heavyweight in Yaraslau Slavikouski, a two-time NCAA qualifier at Harvard who is a member of the Belarus national team. Unfortunately for him, Penn State's Greg Kerkvliet has won seven of his 10 bouts with bonus points.
How to watch the Penn State vs. Rutgers wrestling match
Penn State hosts Rutgers at Bryce Jordan Center beginning at 7 p.m. Big Ten Network will televise, with Shane Sparks and Jim Gibbons on the broadcast. Streamers can check out the match on FuboTV (start your free trial).
More Penn State Wrestling
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Five Penn State wrestlers ranked No. 1, according to InterMat
Penn State turns up the volume at 'awkwardly quiet' Rec Hall
Penn State tops Ohio State, but not without a struggle
Penn State routs Maryland 42-6 for 51st consecutive victory
Penn State rolls to a shutout over Michigan State
Penn State goes 4-1 at NWCA All-Star Classic
Penn State sets dates for 2024 U.S. Olympic Wrestling Trials
AllPennState is the place for Penn State news, opinion and perspective on the SI.com network. Publisher Mark Wogenrich has covered Penn State for more than 20 years, tracking three coaching staffs, three Big Ten titles and a catalog of great stories. Follow him on Twitter @MarkWogenrich. And consider subscribing (button's on the home page) for more great content across the SI.com network.