Wrestling Postview: No. 1 Penn State 46, No. 19 Rutgers 0

Recap

Penn State dismantled Rutgers Scarlet Knights 46-0 in Rec Hall to open the Big Ten season, extending their historic dual winning streak to a record-breaking 78 matches and shutting out a team for the 4th time in the relatively young season. The Nittany Lions showcased a lethal combination of freshman poise and veteran dominance, punctuated by three pins in the middle of the lineup. With Braeden Davis making a successful season dual debut at 141 lbs and Josh Barr returning to a Penn State mat with a dominant technical fall, the lineup appears increasingly solidified as they enter the meat of the conference schedule.

125 lbs – #2 Luke Lilledahl, Penn State Decision vs. #29 Ayden Smith, Rutgers, 8-3

Luke’s Walk-out Song: California Dreamin’ by Chris Lorenzo

1st

Luke created space with measured head taps and moved laterally before faking his way to a low ankle and easy takedown . He released Smith on a restart for the escape and blended fakes with forward pressure to keep Smith at the boundary, earning a stall warning, but no further points. 3-0

2nd

Lilledahl chose bottom and escaped off a whizzer position. He continued to drive Smith to the edge, and was awarded with the stall point, but didn’t find clean attack. 5-1

3rd

Luke took riding time to 43 seconds before Smith stood and escaped. The Nittany Lion peppered the Scarlet Knight with collar ties before driving for a clean double-leg takedown. Looking for a late Major Decision, Luke offered a release on the restart, but couldn’t score again, salting the 8-3 Decision.

Penn State 3, Rutgers 0

133 lbs – #5 Marcus Blaze, Penn State Major Decision vs. #24 Dylan Shawver, Rutgers, 12-2

Marcus’ Walk-out Song:I run by Haven

1st

Shawver kept space as Marcus held position and looked to punch into collar ties and briefly stepped into a body lock before Shawver backed out. Blaze did work the 2024 B1G champ off the mat for a stall warning before the end of the period. 0-0

2nd

Shawver chose bottom, and Blaze worked a strong ride for 49 seconds before Shawver hip-heisted out for the escape. In short time, Blaze kicked up the intensity with a heavy front-headlock and hustled through Shawver’s square-up with an ankle pick and clean takedown to close the period with a ride-out, taking advantage time to 1:25. 3-1

3rd

Shawver offered the escape on an optional start to Marcus, who proceeded to stalk the Rutgers wrestler edgeward for a 2nd stall warning and point, just as he snared another ankle for the quick takedown. Blaze then ceded his own optional start escape, then fended off a shallow single-leg with hips and a shin whizzer. As time faded to the final half-minute, Marcus fired a high-crotch and worked for the finish for the 11-2 Major Decision.

Penn State 7, Rutgers 0

141 lbs – Braeden Davis, Penn State Major Decision vs. Tahir Parkins, Rutgers, 18-7

Braeden’s Season Debut Walk-out Song: Bawidaba by Kid Rock

Parkins got the nod in place of the rumored to be in the coaching doghouse #5 Joey Olivieri

1st

Braeden chased down a Parkins fake for an early g0-behind takedown and claw-rode for 42 seconds before allowing Parkins the escape. Davis grabbed a wrist and snapped, Ono-style, and again chased down Parkins’ overreaction for the go-behind score. He hunted for a cross-wrist tilt, then hammerlock, before releasing his opponent out of a 2-on-1. Braeden then mis-directed to a single-leg and easy finish, returning to wrist work to close the period with 2:15 in riding time. 9-2

2nd

Parkins stood and escaped, and Davis seemed to gear-down his motion from his feet, but faked and shot straight on, but didn’t score. 9-3

3rd

Braeden sat out, as he does, and elevated his hips for an easy escape before countering a poor Parkins shot for a takedown. Parkins escaped on a restart and spun around a Davis shot for his own takedown, before Davis flipped the script, hip-heisting out and firing a double-leg takedown to end the match on top. 18-7 Major Decision

Penn State 11, Rutgers 0

149 lbs – #1 Shayne Van Ness, Penn State Pinned Devon Magro, Rutgers

Shayne’s Walk-out Song: The Boondocks Main Title by Aheru

Bishop McCourt Freshman Magro started in place of #31 Andrew Clark.

1st

Shayne hassled Magro with head pressure, snaring a single-leg and doubling off to finish the takedown near the out of bounds. Magro switched to Van Ness’s ankles for the short-lived reversal, as Shayne returned the favor with his own turning for the legs for the 2-pointer. Shayne released the Scarlet Knight and dove straight to a double-leg takedown, hipping his way into a half-nelson for 4 near fallpoints as Van Ness kept on the pressure and took riding time to 1:15 to end the period. 12-3

2nd

Shayne chose bottom and had some trouble escaping from the stingy Magro, who erased riding time with active work from top. Van Ness don’t mess, though, as he switched into a single-leg position, caught the bottom-leg turk before transitioning to an Assassin for the Fall in 4:54.

Penn State 17, Rutgers 0

157 lbs – #4 PJ Duke, Penn State Technical Fall vs. Easton Doster, Rutgers, 19-4

PJ’s Walk-out Song: Hypnotize by The Notorious B.I.G.

Doster saw action as he replaced presumed starter #32 Anthony White.

1st

Speaking of not messing around, it may not rhyme, but the freshman Nittany Lion wasted no time in shrugging a lefty-underhook for a score. After a quick release, Duke looked like Quentin Wright driving into the same underhook and snaring the far knee for a 2nd takedown. PJ released again right away, and fought for a go-behind at the edge. Duke went optional on the restart and found a single-leg off a Russian tie, and finished a 4th takedown. After a final optional start escape, Duke threatened a cow-catcher which forced the Scarlet Knight to belly-out under the final score of the period, as PJ sought a cross-face and took riding time to 1:12. 15-4

2nd

Choosing bottom, PJ swam for a Nickal/Realbutu double-over situation, which spooked Doster into an easy release. Duke then picked an ankle to ice the 19-5 Technical Fall in 3:18.

Penn State 22, Rutgers 0

165 lbs – #1 Mitchell Mesenbrink, Penn State Pinned Ryan Ford, Rutgers

Mitchell’s Walk-out Song:she got a thing about her by Thomas Day

Ford was given the unenviable task of facing the returning NCAA champ and Hodge Trophy favorite in place of #21 Andrew Barbosa.

1st

Ford caught Mitchell’s first shot in a front headlock, and followed that with a well-timed (or well-missed cautionary) shot on a restart whistle to open the scoring with a rear-standing takedown. Mesenbrink escaped and scooted around his shallow shot into a go-behind, working a cross-face, then 2 successive hammer-lock turns for 4 nearfall points each. He set up for a bow and arrow before powering back into the cross-face, locking the cradle and securing the Fall in 2:28.

Penn State 28, Rutgers 0

174 lbs – #1 Levi Haines, Penn State Pinned Jordan Chapman, Rutgers

Levi’s Walk-out Song:Dinosaur by Hank Williams Jr.

#9 Lenny Pinto didn’t take the mat to create a top-10 matchup—instead, it was Chapman who tested his abilities against the World Silver Medalist Haines.

1st

Levi side-stepped into his high-crotch for a takedown to open the period. Chapman escaped and Haines swam for a head-outside single, methodically working low for the finish. Levi worked into a hammerlock and chin himself, but Chapman threatened a reversal and secured an escape, then took a shot which Levi deftly blocked with the top of his head—briefly sending Chapman into concussion protocol before action resumed and the period closed 6-2.

2nd

Levi baited the Scarlet Knight to try for a cradle and stood for his escape before setting up another high-crotch and methodical finish. He released Chapman, then pestered him with shots and fakes as he worked behind for the takedown, hooking a turk and pulling the bow & arrow for the Fall in 4:49.

*174 lbs

Penn State 34, Rutgers 0

184 lbs – #4 Rocco Welsh, Penn State Major Decision vs. #15 Shane Cartagena-Walsh, Rutgers, 13-3

Rocco’s Walk-out Song: Didn’t start before the match started…

1st

Welsh snared a single and doubled off for a takedown. Cartagena-Walsh escaped, but Welsh fired a double-leg and tight finish. The Scarlet Knight stood again for an escape, and later fired a shot that Rocco counter-shot off for his 3rd takedown—riding out the period and taking riding time to 1:40. 9-2

2nd

Rocco stood for his escape and looked for a variety of shots (outside steps, swing singles) that he couldn’t quite connect with, but the effort earned him a stall warning. 10-2

3rd

Cartagena-Walsh kicked out for an escape, and Welsh kept firing, looking for a single and a fireman’s carry and accruing a point off a 2nd stall warning on the Rutgers wrestler. Cartagena-Walsh fired a shot, but Rocco countered it and chased his own shallow single-leg out of bounds, netting himself a 2nd stall point. With riding time secured, Rocco finished with a 13-3 Major Decision.

Penn State 38, Rutgers 0

197 lbs – #1 Josh Barr, Penn State Technical Fall vs. #18 Remy Cotton, Rutgers, 18-3 (TF 7:00)

Josh’s Walk-out Song:I Love it by Icona Pop

Josh Barr returned to Rec Hall for the first time this season after a summer injury:

I feel great. It was good, it was tough. You know, I love competing, but it was good, I think, to give my whole body a break there. I’m just really fired up for the rest of the season, really excited and just more grateful than ever. When you don’t get to compete for a while and you get to go out there and wrestle in Rec Hall, it makes you really grateful to do it. I think I’m just really appreciative of that and happy to be back.

Josh faced someone he knows quite well, in School Teammate Remy Cotton:

I’ve probably spent more time wrestling him than anybody in my whole life. He was my partner, like main partner for four years straight. So it was cool, really cool to be able to do it in Rec Hall, you know, Rutgers versus Penn State.

1st

Barr dove for a low single and, after a lengthy scramble, secured the takedown with a turk hooked, nearly pinning Cotton, but securing 4 nearfall points and riding out the period with 1:29 of riding time. 7-0

2nd

Cotton worked actively on top to dip Barr’s advantage time below a minute before Josh mule-kicked his way to the escape. He fired a single-leg, finishing the takedown low, restoring his minute advantage, and releasing Cotton for the escape. 11-1

3rd

Barr looked to cradle Cotton, who not unlike Haines, used it to escape. Cotton got to a single-leg, but Barr hipped in and hooked the leg, coming around for the takedown. Barr released Cotton on the restart and mis-directed to another single-leg, threatening a danger-rule to come around for the takedown, adding riding time for the 18-3 Technical Fall.

Penn State 43, Rutgers 0

285 lbs – #15 Cole Mirasola, Penn State Decision vs. #21 Hunter Catka, Rutgers, 4-2

Cole’s Walk-out Song:Babel by Gustavo Bravetti

Cole Mirasola looked to show he can beat a full-sized heavyweight, and find ways to use his advantages in quickness and technique to win scrambles. Asked of his work here, teammate Josh Barr said:

I think he’s getting a little bit meaner, honestly. It’s no secret he’s a little bit smaller than the guys he’s wrestling, but I think he’s just kind of got that chip on his shoulder and he’s going to go out there and fight guys. When he’s going out there and fighting guys, he’s doing really well. He’s just a tough kid, and the more experience he gets under his belt at that weight, I think that’s just going to keep doing dividends. I mean, he’s big and strong—I try and stay away from him honestly, I don’t want to wrestle him, he’d probably throw me into the wall. He’s a mean, tough kid and he’s just going to keep getting better and better.

1st

Cole worked for collar ties early and took space methodically off of fakes and snaps—ultimately working Catka off the boundary for a stall warning. Catka dropped to a low single, but Cole kept good balance neutralized the position pushing the head and chasing a far ankle for the eventual stalemate. 0-0

2nd

Mirasola stood for his escape, and used his quick feet to evade a 2nd Catka attack and more good far-ankle work to stalemate a 3rd. Cole reached for a leg, but the larger Scarlet Knight fed hips until the buzzer. 1-0

3rd

Catka found an escape after an early attempt by Cole to ride, and attacked again—but this time Mirasola turned his scrambling ability into a takedown. Catka grabbed his way to an escape on a restart, but Mirasola circled in on the edge and secured the 4-2 Decision.

Penn State 46, Rutgers 0

The Takery

After an early season of some uncertainty at the 141 lbs weight class, the Penn State lineup has found what they’ll hope is their final postseason lineup just in time to face their B1G opponents. Rutgers may not be the class of the conference at this point, but they always bring competitors to the mat who generally aren’t afraid to scrap.

Cael said

I thought they looked really good. It’s been a few weeks since we wrestled, right? Most of them—I mean [Josh] Barr wrestled last week, a few guys wrestled last week—but yeah, I thought they wrestled good. I mean, obviously, Rutgers always is going to have a scrappy guy at every weight, so we got to be ready to go. I think our guys wrestled well, pushed the pace a little bit, and we’ll just keep getting better each match. That’s the plan.

The dual victory put Penn State’s Dual Meet Win Streak at 78—no one more than any school in the NCAA (and eclipsing D2 St. Cloud’s 77. The milestones are piling up, but the team is recognizing the accomplishment for what it is. PJ Duke said

 It’s definitely pretty cool. I mean, I walked into the record; obviously, it’s my freshman year, so I wasn’t a part of all this stuff prior. But it’s just an amazing feeling to be a part of such a great and such a cool thing. I don’t even have words to describe how grateful I am to be a part of the team. It’s just super cool that records come along with that stuff.

With the lineup questions hopefully behind them, the Lions will turn to tougher individual matchups moving forward—with several key ones looming in Iowa City on Friday.

The Season Playlist

As I continue to record home meet walk-out songs, I’ll add any new ones to the season playlist.

Ridge Riley Winner: Josh Barr

Next Up: Iowa, Friday, January 16, 7:00 PM EST, Iowa City, IA (Big Ten Network, Lionvision)