Moore sparks top-ranked Iowa to win over No. 2 Minnesota

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. - Nick Moore provided the early spark. Mike Evans fanned the flames.

The University of Iowa scorched its rival to the north on its own mat.

In the 100th meeting of their series, the top-ranked Hawkeyes produced a hot start and dropped No. 2 Minnesota, 23-12, Friday night at Williams Arena. The Hawkeyes posted their 71st dual win against the Gophers.

The dual started at 165 pounds, and Iowa caught fire when Moore decked Brandon Kingsley in the second-period in front of 13,603 fans, which is the second-largest crowd to watch a dual between the two and the 17th best in NCAA dual history.

Moore said he wasn't sure if it was anything other than three extra points for Iowa (11-0, 6-0 Big Ten).

'Other than that, it sets the tone a little bit,” said Moore, who exchanged some information about starting the dual with 125-pounder Thomas Gilman. 'It's good for me. It's good for me to build.”

Moore started sluggish in the opening period, surrendering the opening takedown. He increased his foot speed in the second, which led to the fall. Moore pounced on Brandon Kingsley getting out of position and seamlessly slapped on a cowcatcher, putting Kingsley on his back.

'It was something where I got him moving and he kind of fell into my lap,” Moore said. 'He got a dose of heavy hips and it just felt good when I locked it up. It was a good hold.”

Iowa Coach Tom Brands said Moore could have done more earlier, becoming more aggressive and earn the first score.

'He had a lot of time tick down,” Brands said. 'You see what happens when things speed up a little bit.”

The match draw seemed to favor Minnesota (10-1, 6-1), starting with a swing match and ending with its dangerous top-ranked 157-pounder Dylan Ness. The Gophers Coach J Robinson said they have drawn the starting weight instead of wrestling the conventional lightest to heaviest order more this year. Brands told the team to prepare for anything.

'I said just be ready for anything and that's what we tell everybody,” Brands said. 'I don't know if there was any strategy there or not.”

Not only did Moore's pin impacted the team score and the home fans, but so did teammate Mike Evans, who took the mat immediately after for his match against No. 4 Logan Storley at 174.

'You feel it for sure, definitely in a hostile environment,” Evans said. 'You get a guy who goes out and puts six on the board; it shuts them up real quick. You don't have to listen to fans so much.”

Evans and Storley had battled four previous times with Storley winning the first three and Evans coming out on top in last year's dual. The match was vital for each team's chances for a victory.

Evans scored a takedown 21 seconds into sudden-victory overtime for a 3-1 win.

'That's a big win for him,” Brands said. 'That was probably the match of the meet. Good for Evans.”

Evans picked his spot in the overtime period, dropping to a double-leg and dumping Storley to his butt for score, handing Iowa an important 9-0 edge.

After the points were awarded, Storley rolled Evans to his back as the pair continued to wrestle. The match was over after the takedown and was upheld after an official's review, drawing boos from the large crowd.

'He was feeling my hands the entire time,” Evans said. 'I started moving my feet a little more. A shot opened up. I put him down, but he tried to scramble out.”

Evans had the 'Border Brawl” professional wrestling-style belt draped over his shoulder in the post-meet news conference.

'It feels better than not having it,” Evans said. 'I just want to wear it around this arena.”

Sammy Brooks (184) made the team score 12-0 with a 13-7 decision against Brett Pfarr. Top-ranked Bobby Telford's 6-4 victory at heavyweight put the Hawks up, 15-3, at intermission.

The large deficit was hard to overcome.

'We started on the wrong foot,” said Minnesota 197-pounder Scott Schiller, who scored a last-second takedown for a 3-1 win over Nathan Burak. 'It's hard to come out of a hole like that.”

Gilman, essentially wrestling in the spot Moore does, dominated his way to a 23-7 technical fall over Ethan Lizak at 125, giving Iowa a convincing 20-3 advantage with four matches remaining.

Gilman tallied nine of Iowa's 22 takedowns, demonstrating a more offensive style than a year ago.

'He's really offensive and getting to his stuff,” Brands said. 'It really doesn't matter if you scout him, because he's fast.”

Robinson said it was apparent some of his wrestlers didn't compete to their potential.

'Some of the guys did some very good things and there are always good things,” Robinson said. 'Overall, we have to win the close ones and we didn't win the close ones tonight. That's what we have to do to get to where we need to be.”

Second-ranked freshman Brandon Sorensen sealed the victory with a 4-0 decision over Jake Short at 149. Despite the final score, Brands was far from satisfied with how the Hawkeyes performed. The Hawkeyes have more work to do for improvement.

'We have to keep putting an edge on these guys,” Brands said. 'I don't think it's as much as putting a grade on it as much as it is keep moving forward.”

The Hawkeyes have proved to be road warriors, winning decisively at Minnesota and Oklahoma State (30-7) and beating fourth-ranked Ohio State (18-14) in Columbus, Ohio.

'When you have a mission, you go where that mission is,” Brands said. 'Our mission tonight was in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and the campus of the University of Minnesota. That's where we have to go.

'We like our fans, but we'll go anywhere.”

AT MINNEAPOLIS

IOWA 23, MINNESOTA 12

(Individual takedowns in parentheses)

165 pounds - Nick Moore (I) pinned Brandon Kingsley, 4:27 (1,1); 174 -Mike Evans (I) dec. Logan Storley, 3-1 SV1 (1,0); 184 - Sammy Brooks (I) dec. Brett Pfarr, 13-7 (5,1); 197 - Scott Schiller (M) dec. Nathan Burak, 3-1 (1,1); Hwt. - Bobby Telford (I) dec. Michael Kroells, 6-4 (2,0); 125 - Thomas Gilman (I) tech. fall Ethan Lizak, 23-7 (9,0); 133 - Chris Dardanes (M) dec. Cory Clark, 5-3 (2,0); 141 - Nick Dardanes (M) dec. Josh Dziewa, 7-3 (3,0); 149 - Brandon Sorensen (I) dec. Jake Short, 4-0 (1,0); 157 - Dylan Ness (M) dec. Michael Kelly, 11-9 (3,2)

MATCH STATISTICS

Takedowns - Iowa 22, Minnesota 20; Reversals - Iowa 1, Minnesota 1; Escapes - Iowa 16, Minnesota 21; Nearfall points - Iowa 3, Minnesota 2; Penalty points (awarded) - Iowa 1, Minnesota 1; Riding-time points - Iowa 3, Iowa 1; Total match points - Iowa 69, Minnesota 47; Attendance - 13,603.

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