Penn State Wrestling Stays Unbeaten, Outmuscles Nebraska in Bryce Jordan Center Clash
STATE COLLEGE - The shutout streak may be over, but make no mistake: Penn State wrestling is still the gold standard in college wrestling. The top-ranked Nittany Lions showed exactly why on Friday night, overpowering No. 5 Nebraska 26-12 in front of a raucous crowd at the Bryce Jordan Center.
Yes, Nebraska managed to steal a few bouts - three, to be exact - but this dual was never truly in doubt. Penn State’s dominance on their feet and relentless depth across the lineup proved too much for the Cornhuskers, who were out-takedowned 29-5. That stat alone tells the story: when it came to neutral position, the Lions were simply on another level.
The win pushes Penn State to 12-0 overall and 6-0 in the Big Ten, extending their jaw-dropping dual win streak to 83. Nebraska, meanwhile, drops to 9-6 (2-3 Big Ten), but left with a few bright spots and a clear sense of where the bar is set nationally.
Head coach Cael Sanderson, never one to get too high or too low, saw the value in a gritty, hard-fought match.
“A lot of good practice tonight, I’d say,” Sanderson said. “A lot of tough situations, having to go get takedowns. So yeah, I think it was a great match for us, really good preparation.”
He wasn’t just being polite when he praised Nebraska.
“That’s a really good team. They’re good at every weight. Some of those guys are the ones you’ll have to beat if you want to be a national champ.”
That’s the kind of competition Penn State thrives on - and Friday night gave them just enough pushback to sharpen the edges.
Lilledahl Sets the Tone
From the opening whistle, sophomore Luke Lilledahl made it clear Penn State came to wrestle. He wasted no time dismantling Nebraska’s Alan Koehler with a 20-4 technical fall in just 5:36. Lilledahl did most of his work on his feet, scoring takedown after takedown, but also showed some back-point savvy with a near-fall in the second period.
Freshman Marcus Blaze followed up with a composed 5-1 decision over Jacob Van Dee, scoring the only takedown of the match and controlling the tempo throughout.
That 2-0 start gave the Lions early momentum - but Nebraska wasn’t going to roll over.
Huskers Punch Back
At 141, Nebraska senior Brock Hardy pulled off the night’s most dramatic moment. Trailing 7-6 in the third period, Hardy caught Penn State’s Braedan Davis and stuck him for a pin at 5:55. The fall not only gave Nebraska its first win of the night, but also cost the Lions a team point due to unsportsmanlike conduct, trimming the PSU lead to 7-6.
Penn State junior Shayne Van Ness responded with a steady 12-5 decision at 149, but Nebraska struck again at 157, where returning national champ Antrell Taylor handed freshman PJ Duke his first collegiate loss. Taylor edged Duke 2-1 in the second tiebreaker period, escaping and then riding Duke out to seal the win.
That made it 10-9 Penn State - and for a moment, the Cornhuskers had life.
Lions Slam the Door
But that’s when Penn State did what Penn State does. From 165 pounds on, the Lions slammed the door shut.
At 165, Mitchell Mesenbrink poured it on, racking up a 20-5 tech fall over LJ Araujo in a full seven minutes. At 174, Levi Haines delivered in the clutch, using a late third-period takedown to edge Christopher Minto 8-6 - a huge momentum swing that pushed the team score to 18-9.
From there, the upper weights went to work.
Rocco Welsh dominated Silas Allred at 184 with a 14-5 major decision, and Josh Barr followed with a 21-9 major at 197 over Camden McDaniel. Both wrestlers stayed unbeaten on the season and showcased the kind of bonus-point firepower that separates Penn State from the rest of the field.
Nebraska’s AJ Ferrari closed the night with a tight 2-1 win over Cole Mirasola at heavyweight, but by then, the outcome was long decided.
Final Score: Penn State 26, Nebraska 12
Bout-by-Bout Results:
- 125: Luke Lilledahl (PSU) tech. fall Alan Koehler (NEB), 20-4 (5:36)
- 133: Marcus Blaze (PSU) dec.
Jacob Van Dee (NEB), 5-1
- 141: Brock Hardy (NEB) pinned Braedan Davis (PSU), 5:55
- 149: Shayne Van Ness (PSU) dec. Chance Lamer (NEB), 12-5
- 157: Antrell Taylor (NEB) dec. PJ Duke (PSU), 2-1 TB-2
- 165: Mitchell Mesenbrink (PSU) tech. fall LJ Araujo (NEB), 20-5 (7:00)
- 174: Levi Haines (PSU) dec.
Christopher Minto (NEB), 8-6
- 184: Rocco Welsh (PSU) major dec.
Silas Allred (NEB), 14-5
- 197: Josh Barr (PSU) major dec.
Camden McDaniel (NEB), 21-9
- 285: AJ Ferrari (NEB) dec.
Cole Mirasola (PSU), 2-1
- Note: Penn State deducted one team point for unsportsmanlike conduct after the 141-pound bout.
What’s Next
Penn State’s next test comes on the road in Ann Arbor, where they’ll face Michigan next Friday night. With the postseason approaching, every match counts - not just for the team standings, but for seeding, confidence, and momentum.
If Friday’s performance is any indication, the Lions are sharpening their claws for another deep March run.