David Taylor on Oklahoma State 35-3 win over Oklahoma: 'We were the aggressor'

Oklahoma State and Oklahoma is quite the event, it’s called Bedlam after all, and Cowboys head coach David Taylor got his first taste.

Taylor’s No. 3 Cowboys routed No. 21 Oklahoma 35-3 despite both teams coming in with ranked wrestlers across the board. Oklahoma State dominated this time around, winning its 20th straight dual over the Sooners.

Even when Oklahoma looked like it could swipe a few bouts, Taylor’s crew just kept their foot on the gas.

“We were the aggressor,” Taylor said. “We were looking to score points. Missed a few bonus point opportunities, but we’re putting ourselves in position to do that and that’s good.”

At 133 pounds, No. 19 Reece Witcraft trailed No. 18 Cleveland Belton 8-1, but managed to come back and eventually get the pin in 5:43. It gave Oklahoma State a 10-0 lead they would not relinquish after two bouts.

“Holy cow,” Taylor said of Witcraft’s wild win, via The Oklahoman. “It was another opportunity for Reece where things didn’t go his way and he just stayed the course and found a way. He could’ve stopped wrestling. He didn’t and he found a way to get himself in a good situation.

“It was big. Good momentum for us, a little deflating for the opposition. That’s wrestling. You wrestle til the whistle’s blown, and he was able to keep doing that.”

Witcraft is now 7-2 on the season and even he had to appreciate the wildness of his match.

“I got to my back and said, ‘This ain’t good,’” Witcraft said with a deadpan smile. “I got on my head and I tried to sprint out. Just kept fighting.”

Taylor pushed aggressiveness from his wrestlers and saw No. 4 Tagen Jamison take it to No. 9 Mosha Schwartz 8-3, at 141 pounds.

Oklahoma’s lone win came at 149 with No. 20 Willie McDougald over No. 13 Carter Young 7-6 in tiebreakers.

But, as Taylor preached leading into the dual, Oklahoma State just kept scoring. Wrestlers didn’t sit on leads.

“We just like to see guys scoring at the end of periods,” Taylor said. “We like to see guys finishing periods on top, finishing matches on top. Those are good things.

“You want to finish that way, so it was really good for him. And we take some pride in committing the top position. Getting a rideout and then a turn at the end, that’s good.”

Full Box Score:

125: No. 3 Troy Spratley (OSU) MD No. 24 Antonio Lorenzo (OU), 10-1
133: No. 19 Reece Witcraft (OSU) fall No. 18 Cleveland Belton (OU), 5:43
141: No. 4 Tagen Jamison (OSU) dec. No. 9 Mosha Schwartz (OU), 8-3
149: No. 20 Willie McDougald (OU) dec. No. 13 Carter Young (OSU), TB-1 7-6
157: No. 12 Caleb Fish (OSU) dec. Carter Schubert (OU), 6-0
165: No. 6 Cameron Amine (OSU) MD No. 31 Tate Picklo (OU), 14-3
174: No. 3 Dean Hamiti Jr. (OSU) dec. No. 6 Gaven Sax (OU), 4-0
184: No. 3 Dustin Plott (OSU) MD No. 24 DJ Parker (OU), 19-6
197: No. 10 Luke Surber (OSU) dec. Bradley Hill (OU), 8-2
HWT: No. 3 Wyatt Hendrickson (OSU) TF No. 21 Juan Mora (OU), 19-4, 7:00