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Rutgers Wrestling: #22 Knights host #5 Penn State on Friday at the RAC

After losing a close bout at Ohio State, the Lions come to Piscataway for the first time in two years.

By rvc73
scarletknights.com

The Matchup

No. 5 Penn State Nittany Lions  6-1, 2-1 B1G

Head Coach: Cael Sanderson  Iowa State ‘02 (6th year, 38-8-1 PSU)

No. 22 Rutgers Scarlet Knights  9-3, 0-3 B1G

Head Coach: Scott Goodale  Lock Haven '95 (8th year, 120-41-1 RU)

Where: Rutgers Athletic Center

When: Friday, January 16, 7:00 pm

On air: BTN Plus

It was February 24, 2013. PSU had come to Piscataway and the RAC was jumping.  But it would be another win for the visitors, the eighteenth without a loss against Rutgers, in a series that began in 1960. And it would be another win on their way to a 13-1 record and their third consecutive NCAA title.

Penn State comes in to Piscataway again on Friday, this time as a conference opponent for the first time and now the four-time defending national champion.

Last week, the Lions lost against Ohio State.  It was their first loss since an 18-17 loss at Minnesota on Feb. 9, 2014. This season Penn State is now 6-1 overall, 2-1 in the Big Ten. Ohio State is 5-3, 1-1 B1G.  The Buckeyes come to the College Avenue Gym for a match on Super Bowl Sunday at noon.  The OSU match is already a sellout.

PSU has three wrestlers on their roster from New Jersey; one, Jimmy Lawson, is in the starting lineup at 285.  Lawson transferred to Penn State prior to last season after two years of playing college football at Monmouth University. Lawson was a three time New Jersey state champion and a freestyle senior national champion as well.  Lawson is 8-0 on the season.

Against Ohio State, the lineup that PSU put on the mat only had two wrestlers who weren't ranked nationally.  Rutgers currently has seven ranked wrestlers.

Rutgers biggest issue has been bonus points.  The old wrestling adage of "win big, lose small" has not applied to the Knights.  In Big Ten competition, the Knights have not scored any bonus points: no falls, no majors, no techs.  In those three matches they have, however, given up eight majors and two falls.  In its loss to Ohio State, the Lions yielded a major and a fall.

Possible Lineup

125  #8 Jordan Conaway PSU vs  Sean McCabe or Josh Patrick RU

133   #7 Jimmy Gulibon PSU vs #NR/17/NR/NR Scott DelVecchio RU

141   Kade Moss or Michael Waters PSU vs  #7/8/9/7 vs Anthony Ashnault RU

149  #17 Zack Beitz PSU vs # NR/NR/17/NR Ken Theobold RU

157   #7 Dylan Alton or Cody Law PSU vs #18/18/19/17 Anthony Perrotti RU

165   Garett Hammond PSU vs Nicholas Gravina RU

174   #4 Matt Brown PSU vs  #20/15/18/NR Phil Bakuckas RU

184   #16 Matt McCutcheon PSU vs Anthony Pafumi or Hayden Hrymack RU

197   #6 Morgan McIntosh PSU vs #NR/18/NR/NR Andrew Campolattano RU

285   #6 Jimmy Lawson or Jon Gingrich PSU vs #13/13/14/11Billy Smith RU

Rutgers Individual Rankings

From Intermat, The Open Mat, WIN Magazine or FloWrestling.

  • Scott Delvecchio NR/17/NR/NR
  • Anthony Ashnault 7/8/9/7
  • Anthony Perrotti 18/18/19/17
  • Ken Theobold NR/NR/17/NR
  • Phill Backuckus 20/15/18/NR
  • Andrew Campollatano NR/18/NR/NR
  • Billy Smith  13/13/14/11

Big Ten National Rankings

In the latest USA Today/NWCA Division I Coaches Poll, 10 Big Ten teams are ranked among the top 25, including four of the top five squads. Iowa remains in the top spot of the poll, followed by No. 2 Minnesota, No. 4 Ohio State and No. 5 Penn State. Illinois checks in at No. 11, followed by No. 12 Nebraska, No. 16 Michigan and No. 17 Wisconsin. Northwestern and Rutgers check in at No. 19 and No. 22, respectively. Purdue is also receiving votes in the poll.

Big Ten Co-Wrestlers of the Week

Brandon Sorensen, Iowa, 149 pounds - Fr.

  • Defeated No. 2 Josh Kindig of Oklahoma State, 6-1, to help No. 1 Iowa defeat No. 8 Oklahoma State (30-7)
  • Secured his second straight win over a top-five opponent
  • Moved into the No. 3 ranking in the 149-pound weight class after previously being ranked No. 5
  • Guided the Hawkeyes to their largest win over Oklahoma State in 20 years
  • While ranked no. 10, scored a major decision over RU's Ken Theobold

Kyle Snyder, Ohio State, 197 pounds - Fr.

  • Earned a 6-1 decision over No. 4 Morgan McIntosh of Penn State to help No. 7 Ohio State defeat No. 3 Penn State (22-15)
  • Defeated a returning All-American for the first time this season
  • The Buckeyes' win over the No. 3 Nittany Lions marked their highest-ranked victory since 2012
  • Moved into the No. 5 ranking in the 197-pound weight class after previously being ranked No. 7

Big Ten Standings

Conference

Overall

W-L-T

%

W-L-T

%

Wisconsin

5-0-0

1.000

7-1-0

.875

Minnesota

4-0-0

1.000

8-0-0

1.000

Iowa

3-0-0

1.000

8-0-0

1.000

Illinois

2-0-0

1.000

8-1-0

.889

Penn State

2-1-0

.667

6-1-0

.857

Nebraska

2-1-0

.667

5-1-0

.833

Ohio State

1-1-0

.500

5-3-0

.625

Michigan

1-1-0

.500

3-2-0

.600

Northwestern

0-2-0

.000

8-3-0

.727

Purdue

0-2-0

.000

7-4-0

.636

Rutgers

0-3-0

.000

9-3-0

.750

Maryland

0-3-0

.000

5-9-0

.357

Michigan State

0-3-0

.000

3-6-0

.333

Indiana

0-3-0

.000

2-4-0

.333

Through Jan. 12.

Up Next:

Rutgers travels to College Park and the Xfinity Center on Sunday to take on the Maryland Terrapins (5-9, 0-3 B1G) at noon. The Terps are on a two match losing streak having lost to Navy and Lehigh.