Iowa Wrestling Rebounds, Extends Dominance Over Nebraska in Gritty 22-14 Victory
Nebraska wrestling had a shot to break a decades-long drought against Iowa on Friday night. Instead, the Hawkeyes reminded everyone why they’ve had the Huskers’ number for nearly 20 years, grinding out a 22-14 win in front of a record-setting crowd at the Bob Devaney Sports Center.
Coming off their worst-ever loss at Carver-Hawkeye Arena - a 32-3 drubbing by Penn State - Iowa needed a bounce-back, and they got it. The win pushes head coach Tom Brands’ perfect record against Nebraska to 17-0 since taking over in 2006, and extends the Hawkeyes’ all-time series lead to 34-7-2.
For Nebraska, the loss stings - not just because of the final score, but because of how close several bouts were. The Huskers haven’t beaten Iowa since the 2006 National Duals, and not at home since 1993.
Friday night’s crowd of 7,891 fans braved frigid temps to pack the arena, hoping to witness history. Instead, they saw a gritty, grind-it-out dual that ultimately tilted Iowa’s way.
Hardy Hits 100 Wins - But Wants More
No. 3 Brock Hardy gave Nebraska its first win of the night with a 1-0 decision over No.
10 Nasir Bailey at 141 pounds - a milestone moment, marking Hardy’s 100th career win. But the senior All-American wasn’t celebrating much afterward.
“It was a really special moment,” Hardy said. “But it’s bittersweet, because I would trade all 100 wins for a dual win against Iowa.”
The match was a chess match from the opening whistle - both wrestlers cautious, neither willing to overcommit. Hardy’s lone escape in the second period was enough, and he held firm in the third to seal the win. Bailey had been Iowa’s only winner in their blowout loss to Penn State, and he made Hardy work for every second.
Taylor Delivers Again in the Clutch
At 157 pounds, No. 5 Antrell Taylor once again proved why he’s becoming Nebraska’s go-to guy in tight situations.
One week after pinning Minnesota’s Charlie Millard late, Taylor gutted out a 2-1 sudden victory win over No. 12 Jordan Williams.
Like Hardy’s bout, this one wasn’t flashy - low on takedowns, high on tension. Taylor tied it up with an escape early in the third, then fended off a late push from Williams to force overtime.
In sudden victory, Taylor stayed aggressive, nearly securing a takedown before stalling calls against Williams handed him the win. He’s now 3-0 in Big Ten duals and owns seven ranked wins this season.
Minto Pushes Kennedy to the Brink
One of the night’s most grueling battles came at 174 pounds, where No. 6 Christopher Minto went toe-to-toe with No.
3 Patrick Kennedy. The two wrestlers needed three sudden victory periods to settle things, and even then, it came down to a single point - a 2-1 decision in Kennedy’s favor.
The match was a war of attrition. Neither wrestler scored a takedown.
All three points came via escapes. Both picked up stall warnings.
It was the kind of match that leaves you exhausted just watching - and a microcosm of Nebraska’s offensive frustrations on the night. For Minto, it marked his first loss since a 2-1 decision to Oklahoma State’s Alex Facundo earlier in the season.
Around the Mat: Other Key Matches
- 125 pounds: Redshirt freshman Alan Koehler got the call for the fourth straight dual, but Iowa threw a curveball. Instead of No.
6 Dean Peterson, the Hawkeyes sent out junior Joey Cruz. Cruz struck early with a slick takedown near the edge and held on for a 4-2 decision.
- 133 pounds: Nebraska junior Jacob Van Dee suffered his first dual loss of the season in a top-10 showdown with Iowa sophomore Drake Ayala. Ayala, ranked No. 10, took control late with a third-period takedown and used riding time to his advantage in a 12-6 win over No. 8 Van Dee.
- 149 pounds: Nebraska’s Chance Lamer had the Devaney crowd buzzing with a second-period double-leg takedown to take a 5-3 lead. But Iowa’s No. 17 Ryder Block flipped the script with a third-period pin, turning the tide in a big way.
- 165 pounds: It was a rough outing for No. 7 LJ Araujo, who couldn’t get much going against No.
3 Michael Caliendo. Araujo struggled with mat control and surrendered multiple takedowns in a 14-4 major decision loss.
Caliendo dictated the pace from the start.
- 184 pounds: The Huskers’ post-intermission struggles continued as No. 7 Silas Allred dropped a 4-1 decision to Iowa’s Gabe Arnold. It was a near carbon copy of their Big Ten Championships match last year - another close loss for Allred, who couldn’t break through Arnold’s defense.
- 197 pounds: One of Nebraska’s bright spots came courtesy of senior Camden McDanel. Coming off a win over Minnesota’s Gavin Nelson, McDanel dominated Iowa’s Brody Sampson with a 20-5 technical fall. He jumped out to a 7-0 lead by the second period and never let up, recording his first tech fall of the season.
- Heavyweight: In the final bout of the night, No. 4 AJ Ferrari controlled the tempo against No.
8 Ben Kueter. The former U20 World Champion Kueter couldn’t generate much offense, and Ferrari’s strategic third-period approach sealed a 4-1 decision.
What’s Next
Nebraska won’t have much time to regroup. The Huskers are back on the mat Sunday against Ohio State at the Bob Devaney Sports Center.
The dual is set for a 1 p.m. CT start and will be streamed on Big Ten Plus.
For a team still chasing that elusive win over Iowa, Friday night showed they’re not far off - but also that the margins in Big Ten wrestling are razor-thin. Every escape, every stall warning, every takedown counts. And against a program like Iowa, there’s no room for anything less than your best.