No. 1 Penn State wrestling (12-0, Big Ten 4-0) took down previously undefeated No. 3 Michigan (5-1, Big Ten 1-1) 29-6 Friday night at the Crisler Center in Ann Arbor.
The matchup came as one of the most anticipated duals of the NCAA season to date, with 17 of the 20 wrestlers holding a ranked position within their weight class. The Nittany Lions won eight of 10 bouts — including four decided by one or two points, a pair of upsets and a victory in the battle between the nation’s top two 184-pounders.
How It Happened
The opening bout at 125 pounds saw a close battle between Penn State No. 7-ranked Drew Hildebrandt and a former Nittany Lion, No. 1 Nick Suriano. Neither wrestler could get much going offensively, and a Suriano escape to start the second period marked the only scoring heading into the final frame. Hildebrandt took down, looking to tie it up with an escape, but Suriano rode the Nittany Lion for nearly the entire period and secured a riding time point. Hildebrandt got the escape with less the 10 seconds left, but it wasn’t enough and Suriano’s 2-1 decision gave Michigan an early 3-0 lead in the dual
Top-ranked 133-pounder Roman Bravo-Young evened things up for Penn State in the second bout of the night when he took on No. 8 Dylan Ragusin. With 50 seconds left in the first, Bravo-Young got the night’s first takedown, which was challenged but ultimately stood. After an escape in the second period, the Nittany Lion took a 3-0 lead into the third. Ragusin took down and Bravo-Young went to work on top, turning Ragusin for four near-fall points to open up a 7-0 lead. Bravo-Young looked to ride out the period and secure a riding time point that would have given him a major decision and an extra team point. But Ragusin managed to escape before Bravo-Young could get over a minute in riding time. Officials ruled a last-second takedown by Bravo-Young came after time expired and the Nittany Lion settled for a 8-1 decision that evened the dual at 3-3.
No. 1-ranked Nick Lee returned to the mat for the Nittany Lions after missing the last two duals because of illness. He took on Michigan’s Drew Mattin and wasted no time getting to work. Lee came out strong with three takedowns in the first to go up 6-2. The Nittany Lion kept the pressure in the second with a reversal, a takedown and a four-point turn to open up a 14-3 lead. Lee’s relentless performance continued into the third, getting three more takedowns and a stall point for a 21-6 technical fall at the 6:36 mark. With the five team points, Penn State took its first lead of the dual at 8-3.
At 149, Penn State’s Beau Bartlett, ranked No. 19, came out strong against Michigan’s Cole Mattin, getting a quick takedown and four near-fall points. Mattin, however, was injured and unable to return, giving Bartlett the default win at :13 and Penn State a 14-3 lead.
The 157-pound bout saw Penn State’s Terrell Barraclough in a tough battle with Michigan’s No. 15 Will Lewan. A scoreless first period started the match, but an escape and a takedown put Lewan up 3-0 in the second. Barraclough got an escape to start the third but was unable to connect on any shots. Lewan countered for a final takedown with 21 seconds left. Barraclough escaped, but the Wolverine earned a 5-2 decision. Penn State still led the dual 14-6 going into intermission.
The second half of the dual opened with No. 16 Brady Berge, in his second bout since returning to the Nittany Lions, against No. 10 Cameron Amine at 165 pounds. Berge attacked first and was successful with an ankle pick for a takedown and a 2-0 lead at the end of the first period. An Amine escape in the second and a Berge escape in the third accounted for the only remaining points, and Berge held on for the upset 3-1 decision.
Taking on Michigan’s No. 6-ranked Logan Massa at 174 pound, No. 1 Carter Starocci got a takedown out of a scramble in the first period and an escape in the second to take a 3-1 lead into the final period. Massa took down to start the third and quickly escaped to make it 3-2. Starocci appeared to have another takedown at the edge of the mat, but Michigan challenged the call and it was overturned on review. Starocci fended off Massa the rest of the way and claimed a 3-2 decision. Penn State extended its lead 20-6.
The 184-pound bout was a battle of Big Ten champions and the two top ranked wrestlers at the weight, with Penn State’s No. 1 Aaron Brooks squaring off against No. 2 Myles Amin. After a scoreless first period, Brooks controlled on top for 51 seconds before Amin escaped in the second for a 1-0 lead. Brooks tied it with an escape in the third and with 20 seconds left in the bout countered an Amin shot for a takedown, finishing on top for a 3-1 decision.
The 197-pound bout featured another top 10 matchup with No. 2 ranked Nittany Lion Max Dean facing No. 8 Patrick Brucki got on the board first, getting in on a low double for the takedown. Dean escaped and Brucki took a 2-1 advantage into the second. Dean took down and escaped to even the bout, but Brucki got in on another takedown and held a 4-3 lead going into the third. Brucki took down to start the third and Dean controlled on top, riding out the period to pick up the riding time point and send the bout to sudden victory tied 4-4. In the overtime period, Dean sidestepped an ankle pick and got behind Brucki for the takedown and a 6-4 decision that extended Penn State’s lead to 26-6.
The final match of the night was a top-five heavyweight matchup between Penn State’s No. 4 Greg Kerkvliet and Michigan’s No. 2 Mason Parris. The quick moving Kerkvliet got two takedowns to open the bout, but Parris answered on a low double as the first period ended to tie it at 4-4. Parris and Kerkvliet traded escapes in the second and third to make it 5-5 in the final period. With just over a minute left in the bout, Kerkvliet got a takedown and finished with a rideout to secure an 8-5 upset
The second-half lineup once again went undefeated and Penn State finished with a 29-6 win in Ann Arbor.
What’s Next?
The Nittany Lions will be on the road again in Michigan to face Michigan State (8-1, 3-1) at 1 p.m. on Sunday in East Lansing. The dual will be streamed on BTN+.
StateCollege.com’s Geoff Rushton contributed to this story.
