No. 1 Penn State turns college wrestling showdown into a beat down with 32-3 win over No. 4 Iowa

IOWA CITY – There have been many dominant wrestling performances in Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

But this one was different. Instead of dishing it out, host Iowa received it.

And Penn State was happy to give it.

The top-ranked Nittany Lions dominated and drubbed No. 4 Iowa, winning nine of 10 matches and rolling to a 32-3 Big Ten Conference dual victory Friday night. Penn State handed the Hawkeyes their worst loss at CHA in program history.

Iowa’s lone victory came from 141-pounder Nasir Bailey.

“That’s unlike any dual that I’ve been in since I’ve been the coach here,” Iowa Coach Tom Brands said. “We’ve been beat up before but not like that.”

Penn State (8-0, 2-0) extended its NCAA record dual win streak to 79, winning its fifth straight against Iowa. The Nittany Lions have pulled further away with margins of victory of six, nine, 23, 22 and 29 during the stretch that began in 2022.

“I’m proud of the guys,” Penn State Coach Cael Sanderson said. “I’m happy for them. Just have to keep getting better and move forward.”

Include the 12 to 1 advantage in titles at the last 14 NCAA tournaments and you have a large chasm between the two teams.

“There is a gap between Iowa and Penn State,” Brands said. “That’s my job, the program’s job, the coaches’ job to close that gap and overcome it. We have the right guys.”

The lopsided affair was dictated and controlled by Penn State from the start. The Nittany Lions rarely trailed. Only Bailey and Ryder Block (149) led by more than one point.

The biggest disparity came on their feet. Penn State heled a 16-2 advantage in takedowns. To put it in perspective, the Nittany Lions’ Luke Lilledahl (125), top-ranked Mitchell Messenbrink at 165 and 197-pounder Josh Barr scored three takedowns apiece. Penn State earned as many points from nearfalls, penalties and riding time as Iowa had from takedowns.

“When you’re on the periphery of that stalk, you’re going to have a hard time getting your offense off,” Brands said. “When you’re on the other side of that pace, you’re going to have a hard time getting your offense off…

“Just not a good recipe to win tough matches. It starts right here,” as Brands pointed to himself.

Bailey produced one of the few positive moments for the Hawkeyes. He got Iowa on the board, scoring the opening takedown and holding on for a 3-2 decision over No. 7 Braeden Davis in a battle of All-Americans.

  Buy Photo

As teammates struggled to score or waited to score at the end of matches, Bailey benefitted from early points.

“Overall, the takedown won me the match,” Bailey said. “It was big to get that quick takedown in the beginning.”

He said the winning moment felt good.

“I don’t really think too much about the win,” Bailey said, “because I’ve got to do it again next week.”

Bailey hadn’t wrestled since a semifinal loss at the Soldier Salute. He medically forfeited his last two matches and didn’t wrestle in last week’s conference dual opener against Wisconsin. Bailey maintained his focus.

“I feel like I wrestled one bad match and everybody wrote me off,” Bailey said. “Just staying the course. Keep believing in myself. Not much changed. Just really focusing on myself and my goals.”

Two of the bouts Iowa was favored in went Penn State’s way. Fourth-ranked Rocco Welsh had a rideout and escape in the tiebreaker overtime to upset Iowa’s No. 1 Angelo Ferrari, 2-1. Penn State’s Cole Mirasola scored the only takedown and held off a late charge from Ben Kueter for a 4-3 decision at heavyweight.

“There were a lot of matches where one takedown at the end wins,” Brands said. “We were wrestling really, really hard for 45 seconds in the third period at the end. You’ve got to do that the entire match. When you’re doing that the entire match, you will have things go your way.”

The Hawkeyes were without 174-pound starter Patrick Kennedy. Gabe Arnold stepped in and dropped a 4-2 decision to world silver medalist and top-ranked Levi Haines.

“The best thing for Patrick Kennedy,” Brands said. “The best thing for the team. Patrick Kennedy is our 174-pounder.”

Iowa (8-3, 1-1) has had its offensive woes at times. The Hawkeyes will have a short turnaround for their next challenge, which is a Big Ten meet at No. 6 Nebraska next week. They will need to discover their offense to avoid the most dual losses since going 14-4 in 2011-12.

“This is wrestling,” Brands said. “There is no such thing as a quick fix.”

AT IOWA CITY

Penn State 32, Iowa 3

(Individual takedowns in parentheses)

126 pounds – Luke Lilledahl (PSU) dec. Dean Peterson, 11-5 (3,0); 133 – Marcus Blaze (PSU) dec. Drake Ayala, 4-2 (1,0); 141 – Nasir Bailey (I) dec. Braeden Davis, 3-2 (1,0); 149 – Shayne Van Ness (PSU) major dec. Ryder Block, 13-4 (2,1); 157 – P.J. Duke (PSU) dec. Jordan Williams, 4-2 (1,0); 165 – Mitchell Messenbrink (PSU) major dec. Michael Caliendo, 11-2 (3,0); 174 – Levi Haines (PSU) dec. Gabe Arnold, 4-2 (1,0); 184 – Rocco Welsh (PSU) dec. Angelo Ferrari, 2-1, tiebreaker-1 (0,0); 197 – Josh Barr (PSU) pinned Brody Sampson, 3:42 (3,0); Hwt. – Cole Mirasola (PSU) 4-3 (1,0).

MEET STATISTICS

Takedowns – Penn State 15, Iowa 2. Reversals – Penn State 0, Iowa 1. Escapes – Penn State 14, Iowa 16. Nearfall points – Penn State 4, Iowa 0. Penalty points (awarded) – Penn State 1, Iowa 1. Riding-time points – Penn State 1, Iowa 0. Total match points – Penn State 25, Iowa 65. Officials – Nicholas Grosso, Michael Frederiksen. Attendance – 12,530.

Comments: kj.pilcher@thegazette.com