Nebraska Hits the Road for Pac-10 Foes

Nebraska (8-6) vs. #21 Arizona State (7-4)
Wells Fargo Arena • Tempe, Ariz. • Friday, Jan. 22, 2010 • 9 p.m.
Series History: NU leads, 10-4-1
Last Meeting: NU won, 26-9, on Jan. 30, 2004 in Tempe Live Stats: www.nwcaonline.com

Nebraska (8-6) vs. #18 Oregon State (16-1)
Gill Coliseum • Corvallis, Ore. • Sunday, Jan. 24, 2010 • 4 p.m.
Series History: NU leads, 10-2-0
Last Meeting: NU won, 34-8, on Nov. 28, 2008 in Lincoln
Live Video: www.osubeavers.com
Live Stats: www.osubeavers.com

The Nebraska wrestling team (8-6) hits the road for a pair of Pac-10 battles this week, at NU meets No. 21 Arizona State and No. 18 Oregon State. The Huskers and Sun Devils will tussle Friday night at 9 p.m. from Wells Fargo Arena in Tempe, before NU battles the Beavers at Corvallis' Gill Coliseum on Sunday at 2 p.m.

Live stats will be available on the NWCA's official website (www.nwcaonline.com) for the Arizona State dual, while Oregon State will provide both live stats and free live video on osubeavers.com.

The road trip could mark a special week in Husker history, as senior 197-pounder Craig Brester is one victory away from joining Nebraska's 100-win club. The Howells, Neb., native is 99-18 during his NU career after joining the Huskers as a walk-on in the fall of 2005. Since then, he has become a two-time All-American and Big 12 champion en route to his bid of becoming the 17th Husker to reach the century-win mark.

This season, Brester is ranked No. 2 nationally at 197 pounds with an unblemished 20-0 record. He has 14 bonus-point victories and has earned honors as the Las Vegas Invitational Most Outstanding Wrester (Dec. 4-5) and Big 12 Wrestler of the Week (Dec. 12). His .846 career winning percentage ranks sixth on the school's all-time chart, while he is also just 10 victories shy of cracking Nebraska's top 10 career win list.

Senior Stephen Dwyer is not far behind his teammate, producing a big senior season as the third-ranked wrestler at 174 pounds. Dwyer is 17-2 with his only losses coming by decision to No. 1 Mack Lewnes (Cornell) and No. 2 Jay Borschel (Iowa). The Rockton, Ill., native is 95-32 in his career.

In addition to Brester and Dywer, sophomore heavyweight Tucker Lane is ranked No. 10. The trio of returning national qualifiers have combined for a 55-7 record this season.

Scouting No. 21 Arizona State
Arizona State is 7-4 in duals this season after sweeping the Lone Star Duals last week with wins over Harvard, Air Force and Utah Valley. The sweep came after the Sun Devils went winless at the NWCA National Duals, losing to No. 4 Ohio State and No. 19 Wisconsin. In December, ASU finished 11th at the Las Vegas Invitational, two weeks after a Big 12 road swing that saw the Sun Devils lose at Oklahoma State (21-9) and Oklahoma (24-11).

Arizona State is projected to start three ranked wrestling against the Huskers on Friday night. The highest ranked performer is 125-pounder Anthony Robles, who is No. 3 with a 20-2 record. The junior finished fourth at last year's NCAA Championships. Robles is joined by another returning All-American at 141 pounds in junior Chris Drouin. With a 16-7 record, Drouin is ranked No. 15 and aiming for another top-eight finish at the national meet after placing sixth in 2009.

The Sun Devils have just one senior in their starting lineup, as Heavyweight Erik Nye is ranked No. 14 (17-8). Nye is in his first full season with Arizona State, wrestling in only five competitions last year after transferring from Sierra (Calif.) Community College.

Head coach Shawn Charles is in his first season as the head coach of his alma mater. Charles was a four-time All-American and two-time national runner-up for the Sun Devils (1990-93) before beginning his coaching career. He spent time at eight other schools before ending up in Tempe, including a four-year stint as an assistant coach at Nebraska. While coaching the Huskers, Charles discovered 157-pounder Bryan Snyder, who he brought to Arizona State as his head assistant coach in July 2009. Snyder was a four-time All-American at Nebraska.

Husker History versus the Sun Devils
Nebraska leads the all-time series against Arizona State, 10-4-1. The last meeting came on Jan. 30, 2004 in Tempe, a 26-9 Husker victory. The Sun Devils' most recent win in the series was a 20-16 triumph over NU on Feb. 1, 2002 in Tempe.

Scouting No. 18 Oregon State
The Beavers are 16-1 this season with their lone loss coming at the hands of No. 12 Boise State. Sice then, Oregon State has won 13 straight duals and finished eighth at both the Las Vegas Invitational and Midlands Championships. OSU and NU have two common opponents, as the Beavers have defeated Wisconsin and Wyoming.

Although Oregon State does not have any wrestlers in the top 10, the Beavers are projected to start six ranked athletes overall. Junior Colby Covington is No. 11 at 174 pounds (29-5) after OSU has four in the top-20 in the first five bouts. Sophomore Jason Lara is ranked No. 17 at 125 pounds with a 26-4 overall record, although he has not been defeated in dual action with a perfect 15-0 mark. Sophomore Kelly Kubec (No. 16, 133), freshman R.J. Pena (No. 14, 149) and senior Keegan Davis (No. 12, 157) are also ranked in the top half of the lineup, while the Beaver frontline ends with sophomore Clayton Jack (No. 18, Heavyweight).

Jim Zalesky is in his fourth season as Oregon State's head coach. He is 53-19 during his time in Corvallis, highlighted by a Pac-10 championship in his first year (2006-07). Zalesky was head coach at Iowa, his alma mater, from 1997-2006. Former Husker All-American Travis Pascoe is on Zalesky's staff as a volunteer assistant coach.

Husker History versus the Beavers
Nebraska holds a 10-2 lead in the all-time series against Oregon State. The teams have been recent foes, with the Huskers defeating the Beavers in Lincoln on Nov. 28, 2008, 34-8. The last match-up in Corvallis was on Jan. 4, 2008, when NU dominated OSU, 42-3. In 2006-07, Oregon State defeated Nebraska, 21-15.

Last Time Out: Huskers Fall to Wyoming
No. 2 Craig Brester delighted the fans on Hometown Husker Day by remaining undefeated (20-0) in his senior season, although Nebraska (8-6) was unable to pull out a victory in the team race in a 29-10 defeat against the Wyoming Cowboys on Jan. 17 at the NU Coliseum.

Wrestling in front of an estimated 300 Howells, Neb., residents, Brester moved within one victory of joining Nebraska's 100-win club with his 12-1 major decision over Alfonzo Hernandez. The two-time All-American is 99-18 in his NU career with 14 bonus-point victories in the 2009-10 season. Brester dominated Hernandez throughout the match, tallying his final takedown with one second remaining before a standing ovation from the Husker crowd.

Including Brester's victory, Nebraska won three of the last four bouts. Senior Stephen Dywer grinded out an 8-4 decision over Brock Smith at 174 pounds, improving his record to 17-2. The Rockton, Ill., native is also closing in on his 100th career win as he currently sits at 95-32 overall.

Sophomore Tucker Lane earned Nebraska's third and final win of the day to conclude the match with a 7-1 decision over L.J. Helbig. Lane (18-5) jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the first period with a takedown and three-point near fall en route to the easy victory, while helping Nebraska end the dual on a positive note.

The Huskers suffered six straight defeats to start the day, falling behind 26-0 before Dwyer's win at 174. Three of NU's losses were by less than four points, including redshirt freshman Josh Ihnen, who nearly knocked off No. 6 Joe LeBlanc at 184 pounds. Ihnen tied the match, 4-4, on an escape with 24 seconds remaining, but had his upset bid fall short as LeBlanc was credited the deciding point due to riding time in a 5-4 decision. Wyoming gained six points at 149 pounds, as Nebraska forfeited due to injury.

NET to Televise Nebraska-Missouri Dual
The Nebraska Athletic Department and NET Television have announced the Nebraska wrestling team's dual against Missouri on Jan. 29 will air statewide on NET-1 and NET-HD. The dual is set to begin at 7 p.m., from the NU Coliseum.

Larry Punteney and former Nebraska All-American Brad Canoyer will call the action, as the Huskers (8-6) look to start the conference season on a strong note against the 17th-ranked Tigers.

Brester Shining in Senior Season
Senior Craig Brester is solidifying his spot among the best wrestlers in school history, beginning his final season with a 20-0 record. Brester's start has the 197-pounder on the brink of climbing the record books, as he currently ranks No. 6 all-time in career win-loss percentage (.846) and is just one victory away from becoming the 17th Husker ever to reach 100 wins (currently 99-18).

This season, Brester is winning by domination, pinning nine opponents to go along with two technical falls and three major decisions. In addition to his nine pins, he also leads the Huskers in wins (20), dual points (64) and has the second-fastest fall this season, pinning North Dakota State's Drew Ross in 41 seconds on Jan. 3.

Last month, Brester was awarded for his outstanding performance as he was named Big 12 Wrestler of the Week by the league office for matches Dec. 7-Dec. 13. It was the second Big 12 weekly award of his career, earning the honor after pinning Minnesota's Joe Nord (1:10) Dec. 10 in Minneapolis before defeating his fourth ranked opponent in a two-week stretch with an 8-2 decision over No. 9 Tyler Sorenson of South Dakota State on Dec. 12. The week before, Brester claimed the 2009 Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational championship and was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Wrestler.

Currently ranked No. 2 in the nation at 197 pounds, Brester is a two-time All-American and was named Most Outstanding Wrestler of the 2009 Big 12 Championships.

Dwyer Nears Husker History
Senior Stephen Dywer is bidding to put his name in the Husker record books, as he is just five victories away from reaching the 100-win total in his NU career. The 174-pounder is 95-32 since joining the Huskers in 2006 and is off to a 17-2 start this season with his only losses coming to No. 1 Mack Lewnes of Cornell and No. 2 Jay Borschel of Iowa.

Dwyer was a 2008 All-American at 165 pounds, where he wrestled his first three seasons. This year, he moved up to 174 pounds and has not skipped up a beat, rising to a No. 3 national ranking. Dywer is 13-1 in duals and is second on the team in dual points behind Craig Brester with 56. Dywer has pinned six opponents this season, doubling his career total entering 2009-10. He did not have any pins last season.

Non-Varsity Notes
The Huskers had a very successful trip to the Glen Brand Open in Omaha last Saturday, claiming two championships and a runner-up finish at the event.

Junior Cameron Browne used his best performance of the season en route to the 197-pound championship, highlighted by a pin in the semifinals on Hastings College's Justin Boyce. Browne then won the title match by a 10-5 decision over Nebraska-Omaha's Blake Long to claim his first championship of the season. The Plattsmouth, Neb., native is 8-4 in 2010-11 with four victories by fall.

Nebraska's Jerad Gubbels also nabbed a title at 165 pounds, beginning with a major decision win over Oklahoma's Robert Copeland in the first round. Gubbels wrapped up the first-place finish after decisions in the semifinals and finals to improve to 18-7 this season.

Freshman Cody Compton advanced to the finals at 157 pounds, claiming second following a narrow 4-3 loss to Todd Meneely. Freshman Kyle Waldo (125) and redshirt freshman Ridge Kiley (133) each placed third.

Burroughs to Sit Out Remainder of 2009-10 Season
Head Coach Mark Manning and the Nebraska wrestling program announced Dec. 21 that senior 157-pounder Jordan Burroughs will not be able to compete the rest of the 2009-10 season due to a left knee injury suffered Dec. 19 against Central Michigan. An MRI revealed Burroughs had a torn PCL and LCL and he underwent successful surgery on Saturday, Jan. 2.

"Unfortunately, we have lost Jordan Burroughs for the season, but we're fortunate that we will seek a medical redshirt to get this year back," Manning said. "I believe he will qualify for that due to him not competing more than 30 percent of this season. With successful surgery and good rehab, he'll be back better than ever next year."

Burroughs ends his shortened 2009-10 season with a 7-1 record. The only loss came in his injured match to No. 13 Steve Brown of Central Michigan - a 3-2 overtime defeat. Prior to the setback, Burroughs had won 44 straight matches, including a perfect 38-0 junior season in 2008-09 that took the Sicklerville, N.J., native to the 157-pound national championship and his second straight All-America honor.

"You don't replace a young man like Jordan," Manning said. "On the other hand, it gives other guys on the team an opportunity to step up. It also gives our team great lessons in life that relate to athletics. It shows them you have to protect yourself and make the most of your opportunities because you are not promised anything. We'll move on from this and our team will be fine."

Manning Earns Win No. 150
With Nebraska's 26-17 victory over No. 11 Wisconson on Nov. 15 at the NU Coliseum, 10th-year head coach Mark Manning picked up the 150th dual win of his collegiate coaching career. Manning spent three seasons as Northern Iowa's head coach from 1997 to 2000, turning around a Panther program that went 5-9 in his first year to 10-5-2 and an 11th-place finish at the NCAA Championships in 2000. At Nebraska, Manning is 134-51-3 with a 72.0 percent winning percentage that ranks No. 1 among the 15 head coaches in school history.

Huskers Launch Twitter Page
The Nebraska Wrestling program has launched a home on Twitter at "www.twitter.com/HuskerWrestling".

Follow everything surrounding the Huskers throughout the season with more news, notes and quotes on one of the world's fastest-growing social networks.

Next Up: Huskers Open Conference Season against Missouri
Nebraska will begin the conference season inside the friendly confines of the NU Coliseum on Friday, Jan. 29, as the Huskers meet Missouri at 7 p.m. The Big 12 opener will be televised statewide on NET Television.