Wrestling Postview + Interviews: #1 Penn State 22, #4 Nebraska 13 (2024)

After cruising through the regular season looking every bit the #1 team in the country, Penn State took the mat against the #4 Nebraska Cornhuskers to close out their Big Ten dual schedule. With a win, the Nittany Lions would earn the Big Ten regular season championship.

For Penn State, the focus is already on March. While most teams are concerned about records and seeds, this team remains solely focused on making each wrestler the best they can possibly be for the NCAA tournament. For some, that could help them to contend for a title. For others it could earn them All American status.

125: #6 Braeden Davis, Penn State vs #12 Caleb Smith, Nebraska

Historically 125 has been a weight Penn State has struggled to get points from at the NCAA tournament. Davis, who has been ranked as high as #2 this year, seems set to change that trend. But after a recent loss to Iowa’s Drake Ayala amidst a chaotic weight class, there’s not a lot of certainty as to how deep Davis can go. Smith would serve as a good test to see if the field is starting to figure out the true freshman or whether he’s in the title mix.

1st

Davis and Smith immediately tied up in the center of the mat looking to get a feel for each other. After the wrestlers let go of the ties, Davis took an initial shot that Smith easily blocked off. Davis would eventually get in on a low single but couldn’t finish as the wrestlers went off the mat. That would be the best scoring opportunity for either wrestler in the period as the wrestlers went to the second tied at 0-0.

2nd

Smith took bottom to start the period and Davis put on a hard ride, building up 1:02 in riding time before Smith finally got the escape. The wrestlers continued to work in neutral with Smith working more ties than he did in the first period and controlling the action but not finding any scoring opportunities. 0-1.

3rd

Braeden chose bottom to start the third looking to tie up the match. He sat out and worked hand control to get out quickly for the escape, preserving 41 seconds in riding time with the score tied at 1. Davis continued to look for a double leg and took a shot from distance which Smith easily stuffed. With Braeden’s head planted in the mat, Smith immediately started to spin behind. He managed to get behind and Davis went into a desperation scramble in order to avoid giving up the score. In the ensuing scramble Smith was able to work Davis to his back, adding 4 near fall points to the 3 point takedown. Davis found himself trailing 1-8. While Davis was fighting off his back, the wrestlers got into a bit of an awkward position, causing Smith to get into a full nelson position, earning Davis a penalty point. Smith elected to restart in neutral, conceding the escape and closing the score to 3-8. With the wrestlers tied up in the center of the mat, Smith hit a duck under that he converted into a double and took Davis to his back once again. Braeden was able to fight off before the near fall count, with the match ending in an 11-3 major decision for Caleb Smith.

Takeaways

Davis has had a bit of a temperature check in recent weeks. It’s not that this was a bad loss (despite the score), but it’s strengthening the question of whether the field has started to figure him out. 125 has been chaotic this year, but it’s better to weather the chaos at the start of the season than towards the end. He’ll have the next three weeks to work on new setups for his double leg and to sure up his scrambles. We’ll see if it’s enough to make it to All American.

PSU 0, Nebraska 4

133: Baylor Shunk, Penn State vs #17 Jacob Van Dee, Nebraska

The usual starter, Aaron Nagao, has already demonstrated what he’s capable of in March, however the question for him is just how much better he can be this year. Unfortunately he was unable to go against the seventeenth-ranked Van Dee, which may have helped answer that question. In his place Baylor Shunk took the mat to see if Penn State could carry over their magic from the BJC.

1st

Van Dee was quickly in on the legs of Shunk and took the Nittany Lion to the mat. He slowly worked up until Shunk conceded the takedown to avoid going to his back. Van Dee quickly let Shunk up and was once again back in for a takedown to extend his lead to 1-6. Shunk continued to battle and fought out for the escape. Baylor would look to score some offense of his own, getting in on a low single, but Van Dee would work his way out of it before nearly scoring a takedown of his own. The wrestlers would work their way out of the scramble as the period came to a close.

2nd

Van Dee took bottom to start the second and Shunk quickly worked his right leg in to control the Cornhusker. Shunk kept looking to catch the far arm in an effort to turn Van Dee while Van Dee kept trying to work Shunk out of position with his ride. There was a series of scrambles throughout the period, but Van Dee was unable to get out as Shunk built up 1:13 in riding time advantage before the period came to a close.

3rd

Shunk chose bottom to start the third and Van Dee worked a tight waist to break Baylor down and work the riding time under a minute. Shunk tried a series of rolls as he fought for hand control but Van Dee was ready for them and remained in control, riding out the Nittany Lion and winning the 6-2 regular decision to extend Nebraska’s lead.

Takeaways

That was a hard draw for Shunk. Overall he looked pretty solid and was game throughout the entire match, but Van Dee was just too much for him. Hopefully Nagao is fully recovered from whatever kept him out of this match by the time the tournaments start.

Penn State 0, Nebraska 7

141: #1 Beau Bartlett, Penn State vs #7 Brock Hardy, Nebraska

Beau looked to continue his upward trajectory and build on the momentum after recently defeating former #1 Real Woods. Bartlett has been thoroughly in control of his opponents this year, but the scores haven’t really reflected that. Instead he’s had to pull matches out late, which has been a bit too close for comfort.

1st

In a bit of a surprise, Beau fired off a shot right out the gate to catch the right leg of Hardy. He brought the leg up to his feet and finished the takedown to get out to an early 3-0 lead. Hardy worked his way out for the escape after Bartlett built up 23 seconds in riding time. The wrestlers would exchange ties in the center of the mat, but neither wrestler would find much opportunity as Hardy kept trying to work a Russian tie that Bartlett fought off.

2nd

Beau chose bottom to start the second and was quickly on his feet and out for the escape to extend his lead to 4-1. Hardy dropped down for a low single on Bartlett, but Beau was able to quickly defend the takedown attempt by pulling Hardy’s ankle underneath him and take away any ability to drive off the foot. With Hardy’s hips on the mat and ankle pinned, Beau worked his way up until he was awarded the takedown. Hardy eventually got to his feet, drawing a stall call on Bartlett for failure to return him to the mat. Bartlett would eventually concede the escape after building riding time up to 1:10.

3rd

With Bartlett leading 7-2, Hardy chose bottom to start the third period and was shortly out for the escape. Hardy increased his aggression, first trying to force Bartlett out of bounds in hopes of earning a second stall call. Beau circled away and when the wrestlers reengaged in the center of the mat, Hardy used a snap down to set up a high crotch that he was able to quickly finish, cutting Bartlett’s lead to 7-6. Hardy immediately let Beau back up and remained on the attack, getting in once again on Bartlett’s legs. The ensuing scramble was stopped for potentially dangerous, a call that the Nebraska bench vehemently disagreed with. After the action was stopped, Beau asked for injury time to have his knee checked out. Hardy elected to restart in neutral, needing a takedown to win. Beau fired off a single of his own and the wrestlers scrambled before going out of bounds. With short time remaining, Bartlett committed to defense and fended off Hardy’s final attempts, earning the 8-6 decision for the Nittany Lions.

Takeaways

SWHA: This was another strong showing for Bartlett who seems to be putting it all together as of late. Wrestling with the lead greatly benefits his style so it’s great to see him score a first period takedown against a ranked opponent and then wrestle to his advantage. That wasn’t his best third period as Hardy poured it on, but he did enough to hold on for the win. He’ll be going into the Big Ten tournament as the #1 seed and if he keeps scoring early takedowns he’ll leave with the same ranking for the NCAA tournament.

Jp: Wrestling Internet disagreed with the potentially dangerous call almost as vehemently as the Nebraska coaches, with many contributions centered correctly on the general inconsistencies we’ve seen from all the stripes in multiple duals this season. But some, like this from former Husker 2x Champ Jordan Burroughs, were of the laziest common variety:

It would be nice to just wrestle Penn State and not the officials.

While it’s nice to see Burroughs don his fan cap, there was so much great stuff about his Huskers’ performance he could have celebrated instead of trotting out the old ref conspiracy saw.

Thankfully, Brock Hardy is the coolest dude to compete against Penn State in the last couple years, and he himself came out with:

Then even followed that up with:

Hardy & Bartlett are both two of the easiest guys to root for, for fans of any team. I’m thankful the ref gave us all more chances to see these guys battle each other a few more times this postseason.

Scott Pilutik, Black Shoe Diaries.

Penn State 3, Nebraska 7

149: #10 Tyler Kasak, Penn State vs #1 Ridge Lovett, Nebraska

149 is another weight that’s hard to predict for Penn State. Like Davis, Kasak is also a true freshman and that carries a little extra baggage this time of year. Tyler has had a strong season but this is the time of year that young wrestlers start to get figured out. It seems certain that 149 is Kasak’s spot in the tournaments, but there’s still a lot of uncertainty about just how deep he will go.

1st

The wrestlers felt each other out in the center of the mat for most of the first minute of the period. Kasak controlled much of the action before going for an ankle pick that dropped Lovett down to the mat. Kasak cleared his head and lifted Lovett off the mat, returning him for the takedown and getting out to a 3-0 lead. Lovett was already looking for a switch as he was being taken to the mat and Kasak, afraid to lock his hands and give up the penalty point, quickly had to concede the reversal. Lovett rode out the period, building 52 seconds in riding time by the time the period ended.

2nd

Lovett took bottom to start the second and 5 seconds later was out for the escape to tie the match at 3. He started to take control of the match by using double underhooks to push Kasak around the mat, driving the freshman off the mat and drawing a stall call. Lovett again worked Kasak towards the boundary, forcing the Nittany Lion to circle as the wrestlers went out of bounds to avoid giving up another stall call.

3rd

Kasak elected to start the third period in neutral and Lovett continued to work an underhook to drive the Penn State wrestler off the mat. Kasak did a better job of clearing the underhook to prevent Lovett from driving him backwards and tried to find an opening for a shot. Kasak reached for an ankle and got himself extended. As the wrestlers got back up to their feet, Lovett fired off a single with 33 seconds left, getting in deep. Kasak was able to get a whizzer in, but Lovett worked the position to his advantage and was awarded the takedown. The Penn State bench would challenge the call, but the refs confirmed their decision. Kasak was unable to do anything with the 2 seconds remaining and Lovett won by a 6-3 regular decision.

Takeaways

Despite the loss, Kasak showed he’s competitive with the top of the field at 149. The problem that consistently plagues him is that he’s slow to respond when an opponent catches him off guard, a tendency he has when getting too focused on offense. Hopefully this will serve as a learning opportunity and give him more to look at and work on over the next three weeks. He’s right there with the rest of the field and the one thing that will play to his advantage in the tournaments is his conditioning.

Penn State 3, Nebraska 10

157: #1 Levi Haines, Penn State vs #7 Peyton Robb, Nebraska

Like Bartlett, Haines seems to be coming on strong as the season comes to a close. He finally looks to be back to his form from last year and that means some brute force wrestling with farm strength fully on display. Last year’s win over Robb was what showed Haines was a true contender for the title that he eventually fell just short of winning. Closing out the Big Ten schedule against Robb would be a good indication of just how much the true sophom*ore has improved over the past year.

1st

Levi stalked Robb in the center of the mat. Haines tried to create some motion but it was Robb that took the first shot. Levi stuffed it with a front headlock and the action resumed on their feet. Haines took a shot of his own, catching the far left leg of Robb. Robb scrambled to lock between Haines’ legs and would eventually draw a stalemate. Off the restart the wrestlers resumed their ties and set ups at center mat, but neither wrestler was able to get to their offense.

2nd

Robb had choice to start the second and took bottom. He was able to get to his feet and get enough separation from Haines to kick away for the escape. Levi wasted no time powering through for a double and dropping Robb to the mat, but once again Haines was unable to finish and the opportunity ended in stalemate. With little time remaining, Haines got in deep on a shot and dropped Robb to the mat. Robb tried to once again hold on to a leg to avoid giving up the takedown but Levi was able to draw a 3-second danger count for the takedown as the period ended. The Nebraska bench immediately challenged the call but were unsuccessful.

3rd

With a 3-1 lead, Levi chose bottom. Robb conceded the escape to try and tie the bout up with a takedown of his own. After a flurry of shots and reshots between the wrestlers, Haines found himself in control of Robb’s leg and worked his way up for the takedown. Now it was Haines looking for more offense as he let the Cornhusker up for the escape. Leading 7-2 and needing a takedown for the major decision, Haines fired off another double, taking Robb off the mat before returning him in control for the takedown. Levi set to work on top, but Robb worked his way out for the escape before Haines could build up riding time to over a minute. Levi tried finding one last takedown but was unsuccessful before the period ended in a 10-3 decision for the Nittany Lion.

Takeaways

If there was a way to determine power per muscle fiber, Levi would undoubtedly hold the top spot. He’s just so incredibly powerful and we haven’t really seen an opponent yet who has been able to stop it. If he’s truly back to 100% we’ll see if he’s able to do what he wasn’t able to do last year and bring home the championship.

PSU 6, Nebraska 10

165: #6 Mitchell Mesenbrink, Penn State vs #15 Antrell Taylor, Nebraska

Mesenbrink is another wrestler who clearly has a high ceiling. He’s certainly a contender for All American. And his relentless offense will certainly contribute bonus points along the way. The question remains just how high up the podium we can expect him to go.

1st

Mesenbrink came out looking for offense, however it was Taylor who would score first. As Mitchell was reaching for an ankle, Taylor used an underhook for a whip-over to catch Mitchell off balance. Mesenbrink was able to work out for the escape and continued his attack. Mesenbink would ultimately come up with the right leg of Taylor, fighting on the edge of the mat, but was unable to finish the takedown as Taylor would eventually kick free. Mesenbrink would fire off one more shot as time expired, finding himself trailing at the end of the period, 1-3.

2nd

Mesenbrink chose bottom to start the second and fought to his feet repeatedly through a series of mat returns before finally getting the escape. Mesenbrink was able to get in on a single which he quickly changed to a double and secured a body lock on Taylor. Mesenbrink used the body lock to lift Taylor up and finish the takedown as the wrestlers returned to the mat. Mitchell tried a variety of turning combinations but Taylor would ultimately find enough separation to get up and out for the escape to end the period 4-3.

3rd

Looking to tie the match up, Taylor chose bottom and was easily out for the escape. Mesenbrink was quickly back in on a shot, getting the takedown and an 8-5 lead. The Nittany Lion put on a strong ride, working a variety of turning combinations to build up his riding time to over a minute until the period expired ending in a 9-5 decision once the riding time point was awarded.

Takeaways

Mesenbrink clearly loves wrestling. He’s always beaming by the end of the match and never looks like he just spent 7 minutes overwhelming his opponents with nonstop aggression. That pace is going to serve him well in the tournaments where consecutive days of making weight and the grind of multiple matches take their toll. There’s no doubt he’s going to be hitting his opponents with everything including the kitchen sink.

PSU 9, Nebraska 10

174: #1 Carter Starocci, Penn State vs #33 Bubba Wilson, Nebraska

When you’ve already won 3 titles, there’s no question as to what to expect come tournament time. Unfortunately Carter has appeared to battle illness as of late, causing him to be in and out of the lineup. The staff is undoubtedly focused on making sure Starocci is at 100% when the Big Ten tournament starts and this match served primarily to see if he’s improved his health and fitness since his last match.

1st

Starocci controlled the opening of the period, working a series of ties to move Wilson around the mat. Carter would then work his way into position to get a low single on Wilson, finishing for the takedown. Wilson was quickly out for the escape and Starocci continued to dictate the action. Starocci was once again able to find an opening, this time shooting a double and finishing for another takedown to extend his lead to 6-1.

2nd

Wilson chose bottom to start the second and Starocci conceded another escape. Pressuring in again on Wilson, Starocci hit a throwby for his third takedown. Starocci looked to push the pace, drawing a second stall call on Wilson to earn a penalty point and ultimately getting another takedown to end the period 13-3.

3rd

Starocci took bottom and was immediately out for the escape. Once again Starocci was in on the legs of Wilson to quickly score another takedown. Starocci went on to score a final takedown to end the match by tech fall 20-4.

Takeaways

The more I get to watch Starocci, the more I appreciate just how effortless he makes it look. There’s never a situation where he seems to be uncomfortable and consistently works himself into scoring positions with astounding situational awareness and body control. Over the last several years I kept expecting him to develop some kind of dominating offensive attack but the fact of the matter is he’s just always been dominating and I failed to appreciate it.

PSU 14, Nebraska 10

184: #6 Bernie Truax, Penn State vs #3 Lenny Pinto, Nebraska

Truax is among the more proven wrestlers on the team having repeatedly taken 4th in the NCAA tournament. The move to Penn State has been in an effort to make it to the top of the podium, however this year has not appeared to produce the improvement Truax sought by coming to Penn State.

1st

Early into the first, Pinto used an arm drag to set up a double leg and drove through for the takedown. Truax was shortly out for the escape, trailing 1-3. Truax would respond with a shot of his own that Pinto successfully defended. The wrestlers traded setups and feints before Pinto once again found an opportunity and scored a takedown. Truax was out for the escape and tried again for a shot that he was just unable to finish.

2nd

Truax took bottom to start the second and was out for the escape. After shooting in, Bernie was able to get a body lock on Pinto, but Pinto was once again able to use his strength to thwart the threat and Truax would end the period trailing 3-6.

3rd

Pinto took bottom to start the third and would eventually work his way out for an escape. Truax continued to look for offense and got in on the ankles of Pinto, this time successfully finishing the shot. Truax would let Pinto up, looking for the lead. Truax took several shots, ultimately drawing a stall call on Pinto. With little time remaining, Truax got one more opportunity but Pinto was able to fend it off for the 8-6 decision for the Cornhusker.

Takeaways

SWHA: Pinto is a very strong, very solid 184 pounder. However if anyone is capable of handling that it’s Truax, who came down from 197. The pieces are all there for Bernie. He has a great single that he can use to consistently get to the right leg of his opponents and he’s good in top and bottom positions. While this would’ve been a great win for him to get heading into the tournaments, it’s not a loss that removes him from contention, especially with his experience. But he’s going to have to avoid the little mistakes that have plagued him so far this season. He hasn’t looked completely comfortable on the mat, appearing to overthink things. We’ll see if he’s able to settle in to a comfortable style by the time the tournaments start.

Jp: Cael was asked at today’s noisy hallway presser (embedded below) a good question about Bernie:

You mentioned the other day that you’re happy with Bernie’s flurry late, that you thought he could get a little bit better start. And I was curious if there’s anything to do or is there anything you can do to help it? Maybe it’s a warmup routine to get him like … how do you do that? How do you get him fired out of the gate?

To which Coach replied:

It’s just something he has to do and be willing to do. And I think he knows his conditioning can be a factor for him because he’s in really good shape. And obviously he’s a great wrestler. But yeah, I think just being ready to go right away is a big deal. And then … just knowing and being confident that you can wrestle hard and keep scoring points throughout the 7 minutes and against some of the best guys in the country.

But I think he knows that. I think his conditioning is continuing to improve and his confidence is. But yeah, he’ll be fine. He’s just got to finish shots, you know? I mean, it’s not just him, but throughout our team, that’s one of the things that we can do a better job on.

PSU 14, Nebraska 13

197: #1 Aaron Brooks, Penn State vs #13 Silas Allred, Nebraska

Brooks is another 3-time national champion and the expectations for March are clear. The move up to 197 hasn’t changed that and if anything it’s brought out an even more controlling style from Brooks. Similar to Starocci, it’s easy to underappreciate Brooks because he never needs to rely on flash and his matches are typically devoid of drama. He just controls position until he sets up the opportunity he’s looking for and very rarely does he not finish the takedown.

1st

Brooks looked to get physical right off the whistle, using a series of collar ties and underhooks to wear on Allred’s neck. He’d eventually use the ties to set up a double and score the opening takedown. After letting Allred back up, Brooks hit a double yet again for a takedown to take a 6-1 lead. Brooks then committed to a hard ride, building up 1:49 in riding time as he rode out the period.

2nd

Allred elected to start the period on bottom. This time Brooks let him out for the escape so that he could resume his offense. On the edge of the mat, Brooks would work his way behind for a takedown to make the match 9-2. Brooks committed to riding again, nearly turning Allred with an arm bar before riding out the period.

3rd

Brooks chose to start the period in neutral, looking to build on his lead. He would eventually use a snap down to work his way behind and extend his lead to 12-2. Aaron once again let Allred up so that he could continue looking to score. Brooks drew a second stall call for a penalty point before getting another takedown. Brooks conceded the escape to try for the tech fall, but was unable to get it, winning by 17-4 major decision.

Takeaways

Aaron Brooks is ready for March. This match carried a bit more drama than we’re used to as the dual outcome was not yet secured for Penn State, but Brooks was clearly unphased by it. 197 is Aaron’s weight to lose.

PSU 18, Nebraska 13

285: #1 Greg Kervkliet, Penn State vs Nat Hutmacher, Nebraska

Kervkliet has been dominant all year after not quite being able to put it all together in previous years. He’s consistently shown what he’s capable of, but this season he seems to have matured, both physically and mentally, and it has shown on the mat.

1st

The heavyweights battled in the center of the mat, hand fighting and tying up for control. Kerkvliet took a double from pretty far away that Hutmacher was able to block off. Kerkvliet would eventually line up a high crotch that he converted for the takedown and follow it with a hard ride in order to wear Hutmacher down. Greg would ride out the period, building over a minute and a half of riding time.

2nd

Kervkliet took bottom to start the 2nd and hit a granby roll to get a reversal to get back on top. He kept Hutmacher bellied out and on his elbows, drawing two stall calls in the period to earn a penalty point.

3rd

Hutmacher for some reason elected to start the period on bottom and Greg immediately flattened him out again. Kerkvliet continued to apply a lot of forward pressure to keep Hutmacher fighting off his stomach and earning another penalty point via stall call to make the match 7-0. As Greg continued to work, the ref called him for stalling for remaining parallel. Kerkvliet would go right back to dominating on top, drawing a fourth stall call on the Cornhusker to earn 2 more penalty points. Kerkvliet would go on to win the match by a 10-0 major decision.

Takeaways

This wasn’t much of a test for Kerkvliet, but he still passed with flying colors. In previous years he needed to be concerned about getting worn down from carrying opponent’s weight, but this year he’s the one who’s wearing on opponents and leaving them depleted. On a team with so much talent, he still stands apart for his freak athleticism for a guy weighing in around 250 pounds.

PSU 22, Nebraska 13

Executive Summary

The box score shows the same thing 6500 fans in Rec Hall saw and the same thing the community here at BSDWrestle talked about in the Preview + Livethread: Nebraska wrestled harder against Penn State than any other team this year.

Nebraska’s 9 takedowns were the second-most earned against the Lions, just behind the 11 earned by Lehigh, who was led by Michael Beard’s 6 TDs against Lucas Cochran. But those 9 TDs were earned in 6 different bouts, the most Penn State conceded this year (Lehigh’s 11 were earned in 5 different bouts).

The Huskers also scored the second-most Bout Points (54) against Penn State this season, just behind Lehigh’s 56, while holding the Nittany Lions their 4th-lowest output of their own.

Press Conference and Media Availability

Coach Cael, Carter & Levi were available for questions after the dual.

And about 16 hours later, in the hallway outside Lorenzo, Cael, Brooks and Mesenbrink took some more questions.

The Takery

If there’s one thing to really appreciate about wrestlers it’s that they tend to be extraordinarily genuine. There’s usually not a lot you have to cut through or consider when they’re answering questions, they just get to the point. That may be the most understated post-championship winning press conference you’ll ever see.

Despite just winning the Big Ten’s regular season championship, the focus is clearly on March. Cael seems very confident that everyone’s best wrestling is still ahead of them and doesn’t seem too concerned about any recent struggles. Throughout the various interviews, it’s clear everyone in Lorenzo shares those beliefs and focus. There’s not much celebration or concern about recent events, and in Cael’s words, they don’t get too concerned about things like senior night because senior night is really on Saturday night in March.

Mesenbrink is on the verge of positive infinity as he stays in the moment with the end of the season drawing near. His use of the transfer portal has clearly been a success for both him and Penn State.

Next Up: Edinboro, 2pm EST Sunday, 2/25, Rec Hall, State College, BTN+, LionVision Audio