Penn State wrestling: 4 takeaways, plus full results, from the Lions' 31-7 win over Nebraska

Penn State wrestling won eight of 10 bouts and earned a 21-4 edge in the takedowns category en route to a 31-7 win over No. 6 Nebraska on Friday night in Lincoln. The No. 1 Nittany Lions have now won 64 consecutive dual meets and improved to 8-0 on the year. The Cornhuskers are now 6-2. Find our top takeaways from the meet, plus full results, below.

1. ‘Lightning Luke’ lives up to his nickname

Penn State 125-pound freshman Luke Lilledahl earned his nickname, ‘Lightning Luke,’ from a youth wrestling coach, according to the Penn State Sports Network. Whoever coined it certainly knew then what we are and have been seeing now.

Lilledahl, who entered his 125-pound showdown with No. 6 Caleb Smith ranked No. 12, put the pedal to the metal immediately. He was the aggressor throughout, and his pace and pursuit were awarded with a takedown off a counter shot in the third period to beat the sixth-year Cornhusker and returning All-American 4-2.

As we discussed on this week’s BWI Penn State wrestling podcast, a win would surely move Lilledahl into the top 10, and a spot in the top five is not out of the question. While his previous 10 victories should not have been questioned, his 11th was by far his biggest test at this level, and like almost every other one in his wrestling career, he passed it with flying colors.

2. Beau Bartlett had a signature win, too

No. 3 Beau Bartlett and No. 6 Brock Hardy had split their previous two matches at the collegiate level. Unsurprisingly, their third meeting lived up to the hype. Trailing 7-6 with less than 30 seconds left to wrestle, the Penn State senior+ worked underneath of the Cornhusker and scored a reversal with seven seconds left. He then retained control to win 8-7 in a match that showcased his ability to score from all three positions. Bartlett often finds himself in close matches. He doesn’t always prevail. But he was as resilient as ever in this one and earned a big victory in the process.

3. The back half of the Penn State lineup led the charge

Coming into Friday night, it was expected that the 125-157 pound weight classes would be tightly contested. Thus, while a Penn State win was never in doubt before the match, it was assumed that the program’s wrestlers at 165-285 pounds would help ensure that the lighter-weight results did not put a victory in jeopardy.

The Lions won three of five matches between 125-157, of course, and thus, the final result was not as dramatic as that statement indicates. And yet, after winning the coin flip, head coach Cael Sanderson chose to start the dual at 174 pounds. His heavy hitters delivered.

Penn State led 17-0 after four bouts. Levi Haines kicked things off with a decision at 174. Carter Starocci followed with a major at 184. Redshirt freshman Josh Barr earned a technical fall at 197. And heavyweight Greg Kerkvliet, despite being under the weather per the Penn State Sports Network, earned a technical fall at 285.

The aforementioned Lilledahl followed that up with his own momentous win that sent the Lions well on their way to clinching the dual before the final bout of the night. But, to the original point, Mitchell Mesenbrink closed things out at 165 with a dominating 20-3 technical fall triumph in 5:39 to reach the final margin of victory.

4. Davis and Van Ness will learn from their defeats

Penn State was not perfect on this night. At 133 pounds, No. 5 Braeden Davis surrendered an early seven-point throw opposite No. 16 Jacob Van Dee. He ultimately lost 14-7. Two matches later, No. 2 Shayne Van Ness gave up a third period escape, a quick takedown, and then four near fall points to lose by major decision, 10-2, to No. 4 Ridge Lovett.

It’s untrue to say either loss was impossible to predict. But, Van Ness losing by major decision certainly was. Neither Nittany Lion was outclassed, though. And, both will learn from these January setbacks en route to the postseason.

5. Full Penn State-Nebraska results

Courtesy of Penn State Athletics:

174: #2 Levi Haines PSU dec. #15 Lenny Pinto NEB, 9-2                                                 3-0

184: #1 Carter Starocci PSU maj. dec. #17 Silas Allred NEB, 11-2                                 7-0

197: #4 Josh Barr PSU tech fall #22 Camden McDaniel NEB, 19-4 (TF; 6:42)             12-0

285: #2 Greg Kerkvliet PSU tech fall #24 Harley Andrews NEB, 20-2 (TF; 6:12)        17-0

125: #12 Luke Lilledahl PSU dec. #6 Caleb Smith NEB, 4-2                                            20-0

133: #16 Jacob Van Dee NEB dec. #5 Braeden Davis PSU, 14-7                                    20-3

141: #3 Beau Bartlett PSU dec. #6 Brock Hardy NEB, 8-7                                               23-3

149: #4 Ridge Lovett NEB maj. dec. #2 Shayne Van Ness PSU, 10-2                            23-7

157: #3 Tyler Kask PSU dec. #5 Antrell Taylor NEB, 9-3                                                  26-7

165: #1 Mitchell Mesenbrink PSU tech fall #7 Bubba Wilson NEB, 20-3 (TF; 5:39)  31-7

Attendance: 6,661

Records: Penn State (8-0, 2-0 B1G); Nebraska (6-2, 1-1 B1G)

Up Next for Penn State: at Rutgers, Friday, Jan. 24, 8 p.m., Piscataway, N.J. (B1G Network)