Hawkeyes tame top-ranked Nittany Lions

Before the University of Iowa's highly-touted dual at Penn State, Hawkeyes Coach Tom Brands said on a radio interview that his team had plenty of motivation, showing they belonged in "the show" against the top-ranked Nittany Lions.

The eighth-ranked Hawkeyes actually stole the show. Iowa won the first three weight classes and six overall to drop No. 1 Penn State, 22-13, Sunday at Rec Hall in State College, Pa. Iowa remained unbeaten with an 11-0-1 record, improving to 4-0 in the Big Ten. Penn State is 13-1 and 2-1 in the Big Ten.

Flowrestling.com caught up with Brands after the meet.

It was Iowa's first dual win against a top-ranked foe since defeating Iowa State, 20-13, in Ames on Dec. 9, 2007. Coincidentally, that win also came against a team coached by Cael Sanderson, who left Iowa State to take the head coaching job at Penn State in April 2009.

“Our guys like this environment. Remember, we wrestle in a great wrestling facility, as well. Enemy arenas and home arenas are the same when you have this kind of energy. We get crowds like this quite a bit. It's good show. It's good for both places,” Brands told TheMat.com. “Very satisfying, it's always satisfying. You don't get a chance to come into the No. 1 team in America, come into their home arena and wrestle, especially with the enthusiasm.”

Matt McDonough (16-1) ignited the Hawkeyes in the opening bout, building a 12-5 lead before decking Nate Morgan in 4 minutes, 16 seconds. Iowa's second-ranked and defending 125-pound NCAA champion, who kicked off the weekend by pinning top-ranked Brandon Precin of Northwestern Friday, gave the Hawkeyes an important 6-0 lead.

The Hawkeyes' 10th-ranked Tony Ramos (13-3) continued the momentum with a 3-2 victory over No. 5 Andrew Long at 133. Long, a finalist at 125 for Iowa State last year, transferred to Penn State at the start of the semester and was 6-0, but Ramos scored a takedown in the second, adding a third-period escape to give Iowa a 9-0 lead.

Iowa's lead increased to 12-0 at 141 when Montell Marion made his first official appearance in competition for the Hawkeyes since last year's 141-pound NCAA finals due to disciplinary reasons. Marion suffered a "permanent suspension" but was reinstated to practice with the team the first week of January. His return to the lineup was an 11-9 come-from-behind over fifth-ranked freshman Andrew Alton.

Alton threw Marion to his back in the opening period for a 5-0 lead, but Marion battled back. He scored a takedown in the second and then controlled the third with three takedowns, including the decisive one in the final minute. Marion amassed riding time for the two-point win.

“(The win at) 141 was huge," Brands said in the same article on TheMat.com. "A five-point move, nice hold and we battled back. That was a big, big match.”

The win neutralized the sold-out crowd of more than 6,500 fans, who were encouraged to wear white for a "white-out" promotion.

Penn State posted consecutive wins at 149 and 157, closing the score to 12-7 at the midway point. No. 5 Frank Molinaro beat Mark Ballweg, 10-3, after Ballweg moved up to 149. Third-ranked David Taylor scored the lone bonus point for the Nittany Lions, beating No. 14 Derek St. John, 12-4. Taylor (26-0) has scored bonus points in 25 of his wins.

Aaron Janssen (17-4) got the Hawkeyes back on the board with a 6-2 victory over Jake Kemerer. Grant Gambrall (14-4) and Luke Lofthouse (12-3) sealed the dual with back-to-back wins at 184 and 197, giving Iowa a 22-10 lead.

Gambrall, ranked 16th, beat No. 6 Quentin Wright, 8-3, tallying three takedowns. Lofthouse hammered Justin Ortega for a 17-6 major decision, breaking open a one-point match with three points - an escape and takedown - in the final eight seconds of the first period.

When it was all over, Iowa held a 67-60 advantage in match points, scoring 23 takedowns to Penn State's 14. Iowa increased its unbeaten dual streak to 73 straight duals, dating back to Jan. 2008. Iowa has not lost to a Big Ten opponent since falling to Minnesota in Feb. 2007, giving them 28 straight conference dual wins.

The Hawkeyes were underdogs, by ranking, in seven matches, but won three and allowed just one bonus point.  

Iowa will host Indiana at Carver-Hawkeye Arena Friday at 7 p.m.

125 pounds - Matt McDonough (I) pinned Nate Morgan, 4:16 (6,0); 133 - Tony Ramos (I) dec. Andrew Long, 3-2 (1,0); 141 - Montell Marion (I) dec. Andrew Alton, 11-9 (4,1); 149 - Frank Molinaro (PSU) dec. Mark Ballweg, 10-3 (4,0); 157 - David Taylor (PSU) major dec. Derek St. John, 12-4 (5,0); 165 - Aaron Janssen (I) dec. Jake Kemerer, 6-2 (2,0); 174 - Ed Ruth (PSU) dec. Ethen Lofthouse, 10-3 (4,0); 184 - Grant Gambrall (I) dec. Quentin Wright, 8-3 (3,0); 197 - Luke Lofthouse (I) major dec. Justin Ortega, 17-6 (7,0); Hwt. - Cameron Wade (PSU) dec. Blake Rasing, 1-0 (0,0)

Takedowns - Iowa 23, Penn State 14.

Reversals - Iowa 0, Penn State 1.

Escapes - Iowa 17, Penn State 23.

Nearfall points - Iowa 0, Penn State 3.

Penalty points (awarded) - Iowa 1, Penn State 1.

Riding time points - Iowa 3, Penn State 3.

Total match points - Iowa 67, Penn State 60.