Rutgers Wrestling Drops 17–16 Nail-Biter at Illinois on Tiebreak Criteria

Rutgers wrestling’s rally comes up just short against Illinois

Rutgers Wrestling | Peter Ackerman / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

On Saturday afternoon at Huff Hall, No. 17 Rutgers and No. 12 Illinois battled through a tense, physical duel that ended in a 16–16 deadlock. The outcome, however, was decided by the rulebook rather than a final takedown, as Illinois escaped with a 17–16 victory on Criteria C.

Illinois claimed the decisive team point by holding a 46–42 edge in total match points across all ten bouts. That narrow advantage proved just enough to separate the two teams in one of the most tightly contested Big Ten duals of the season.

Rutgers Wrestlers Showcased High Stakes in Champaign

The matchup featured two top-20 programs fighting for position in a crowded Big Ten race. Rutgers entered the afternoon at 8–5 overall and 2–3 in conference action, looking for its second straight win over Illinois.

FINAL: No. 12 Illinois 17, No. 17 Rutgers 16.

Despite the 5-5 match split, the Fighting Illini win on Criteria C - total match points - by a 46-42 advantage.#RelentlessPursuit | #GoRU pic.twitter.com/6VSTBU1zQb

— Rutgers Wrestling (@RUWrestling) January 24, 2026

The Illini, ranked 12th nationally, came in at 9–4 overall and 2–2 in the league, aiming to protect their home mat. The razor-thin criteria decision underscored how unforgiving the Big Ten can be as the postseason draws closer.

Rutgers spent much of the dual trying to recover from a difficult opening stretch. At 125 pounds, No. 27 Ayden Smith dropped a 5–1 decision to No. 20 Spencer Moore. That was followed by a heartbreaking 3–1 loss at 133 pounds. That's where No. 27 Dylan Shawver fell to reigning national champion and top-ranked Lucas Byrd. Those two bouts quickly put the Scarlet Knights in a 6–0 deficit.

At 141 pounds, Tahir Parkins earned his first career dual win. They finished a sudden victory period with a single-leg takedown to defeat Kole Brower 4–1.

At 149, No. 31 Andrew Clark survived a tense tiebreaker against Michael Gioffre, riding out the first tiebreak and escaping late to secure a 3–2 decision. The pair of wins pulled Rutgers even at 6–6 and shifted the momentum.

The standout performance of the afternoon belonged to redshirt freshman Ryan Ford. Wrestling up at 174 pounds, Ford dominated No. 25 Colin Kelly from the opening whistle. He scored 12 points in the first period alone, registering two takedowns and six back points to build a 12–1 lead. Ford closed out the bout with a 15–5 major decision. And the only bonus-point win for Rutgers was a critical factor in keeping the match-point criteria close.

Back-and-Forth Before the Finish

Illinois responded with wins at 157 and 165 pounds, where No. 31 Anthony White and No. 20 Andrew Barbosa fell to top-10 opponents, with Barbosa dropping an 8–2 decision. A narrow 2–1 loss by No. 14 Shane Cartagena-Walsh at 184 pounds pushed Illinois ahead 16–10.

At 197 pounds, No. 16 Remy Cotton delivered, earning his fourth consecutive Big Ten win with a hard-fought 6–5 decision over Dylan Connell.

Heavyweight No. 19 Hunter Catka then took the mat, needing a major decision to secure the dual outright. Catka controlled the action against Ryan Boersma and earned a 5–2 win. That tied the team score at 16–16, but left Illinois ahead on total match points.

Criteria C only comes into play when teams are tied in match wins. And the first two criteria are even. In this case, Illinois’ 46–42 advantage in total match points decided the dual.

Rutgers saw wins from Ryan Ford, Remy Cotton, Hunter Catka, Andrew Clark, and Tahir Parkins and now returns home to Jersey Mike’s Arena to host Maryland on Friday, January 30, at 7 p.m.

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