Huskers Visit Northwestern, Host Rutgers in Top-20 MatchupsHuskers Visit Northwestern, Host Rutgers in Top-20 Matchups
Wrestling

Huskers Visit Northwestern, Host Rutgers in Top-20 Matchups

 Friday, Jan. 19  7 p.m. (CT)
  Evanston, Ill. (Patten Gym)
 #18 Nebraska Cornhuskers  4-3 (2-1 Big Ten)  Nebraska Match Notes | @HuskerWrestling
 #20 Northwestern Wildcats  7-1 (2-1 Big Ten)  Northwestern Match Notes | @NUWrestle
   BTN Plus | FloWrestling
 Sunday, Jan. 21  1 p.m. (CT)  Lincoln, Neb. (Bob Devaney Sports Center)
 #16 Rutgers Scarlet Knights  4-3 (2-1 Big Ten)  Rutgers Match Notes | @RUWrestling
 #18 Nebraska Cornhuskers  4-3 (2-1 Big Ten)  Nebraska Match Notes | @HuskerWrestling
   Tickets  BTN Plus | FloWrestling

No. 18 Nebraska returns to action in the Big Ten with a pair of top-20 matchups on deck this weekend, as the Cornhuskers travel to No. 20 Northwestern on Friday, before returning home to host No. 16 Rutgers on Sunday afternoon.

Friday night’s dual at Northwestern is set to begin at 8 p.m. (CT) with a live stream available on BTN Plus and FloWrestling.

Sunday’s matinee is set to begin at 1 p.m. (CT), with a live stream available on BTN Plus and FloWrestling. Fans are reminded that this dual starts one hour earlier than most other Sunday home duals this season, as the doors will open at noon. Tickets are available now at Huskers.com/Tickets or by calling 1-800-8-BIG-RED. The first 250 fans will receive a free Nebraska Carhartt stocking cap.

Last Time Out

Nebraska used a fast start and a strong finish to defeat No. 22 Purdue by a score of 20-15 last Friday. The Huskers got bonus-point wins from Eric Schultz, Colton McCrystal and Isaiah White, and NU used a 12-0 run over three bouts late in the match to take the win.

Up Next

Nebraska will return home to host Indiana next Sunday at 2 p.m. at the Devaney Center. The dual will mark Senior Day for Nebraska’s four seniors.

Quick Notes

  • Nebraska has outscored its four dual opponents by a combined score of 155-115
  • Nebraska has won 37 of 70 individual matches in dual competition
  • Eight starters have surpassed the 10-win plateau, with Patrick Grayson (HWT) leading the way with 18 wins. Mitchell Maginnis (125), Taylor Venz (184) and Isaiah White (165) each have 15 wins.
  • Isaiah White (165) is 6-0 in duals this season, while Kris Williams (125) and Jason Renteria (133) are 1-0
  • White (165) has scored the most dual points for Nebraska (23) this season
  • Venz (184) leads all starters in pins (7) this season
  • Venz (184) leads starters with three technical falls this season
  • Tyler Berger (157) and Patrick Grayson (HWT) lead all starters in major decisions (4) this season

Six Huskers Ranked in First Coaches' Panel Rankings

Six Nebraska wrestlers were ranked in the initial NCAA Division I Coaches’ Panel Rankings, released on Thursday. Taylor Venz was the highest ranked Husker, coming in at sixth at 184 pounds. Tyler Berger joined him in the top 10, as he was rated eighth at 157.

Colton McCrystal was ranked 11th at 149 pounds, while Chad Red Jr. (141) and Isaiah White (165) were ranked 12th. Eric Schultz rounded out the list of Huskers in the rankings, as he came in at 25th at 197.

Wrestlers in each weight class will be measured by winning percentage, rating percentage index (RPI) and coaches’ rankings to earn spots in their qualifying tournaments for the 2018 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships. The coaches’ rankings are compiled by a vote of coaches representing each qualifying tournament. For ranking purposes, coaches may only consider a wrestler that has been designated as a starter at a respective weight class. To be eligible for the rankings, wrestlers must have participated in at least five matches against Division I opponents in the weight class and have wrestled within the last 30 days.

White Shows Consistency in First Season as a Husker

Sophomore Isaiah White (165) is proving his place as one of the top wrestlers at his weight in the country in his first season in a Nebraska singlet. White, who is 6-0 in duals, is the only Nebraska wrestler to have wrestled in multiple duals to have an undefeated record.

White also leads NU starters in dual points (23) and is second in dual takedowns (20) and has been taken down just once in dual competition. He has outscored his six dual opponents by a combined score of 56-21, not including a pin in his match against Maryland.

White has six wins by bonus points on the season, including a pin, two technical falls and three major decisions. He finished second at the Daktronics Open in November and defeated four ranked opponents to finish third at the Cliff Keen Invitational in December. His only losses are to top-11 opponents Nick Wanzek of Minnesota and Te’Shan Campbell of Ohio State.

White won the NCAA Division II title at 165 pounds last season for Notre Dame College (Ohio) before transferring to Nebraska last summer. He went 28-2 overall as a freshman.

Venz Dominating During Redshirt Freshman Campaign

Taylor Venz (184) has a team leading seven pins this season along with three technical falls and one major decision on the year.

At the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational, Venz burst on the scene with four pins on the first day of competition, including a pair in under 15 seconds and two more over top-eight opponents. Venz finished third at the tournament, as the previously unranked wrestler jumped to sixth in the next week’s InterMat rankings.

Three of Venz’s five wins in dual matches have come by bonus points, as he has a pin, a technical fall and a major decision. He defeated Max Lyon of Purdue by a 5-3 decision last Friday.

In a 28-4 redshirt season last year, Venz pinned eight opponents, defeated seven by tech fall and won six major decisions.

Experienced Pair Back to Business

Tyler Berger (157) and Colton McCrystal (149) are Nebraska’s two returning NCAA qualifiers from last season, and the pair bounced back from a combined 0-3 weekend in mid-December with a combined record of 6-0 with four bonus-point wins in NU’s first three Big Ten duals.

Berger, an All-American at 157 pounds a season ago, is 13-4 this season with six of his wins against ranked wrestlers. He won the Daktronics Open and finished fourth at the Cliff Keen Invitational.

McCrystal, who qualified for the NCAA Championships at 141 pounds last season, moved up to 149 this year and is 12-2 on the year with a pair of wins over ranked opponents. He is 5-1 in duals this season, with bonus points in his last three matches.

Redshirt Freshmen Stepping Up

Four redshirt freshmen, Chad Red Jr. (141), Beau Breske (174), Taylor Venz (184) and Eric Schultz (197) have become strong forces in Nebraska’s starting lineup this season.

Red, ranked 12th at 141, is 12-6 on the season after finishing fourth at the Cliff Keen Invitational. Three of his six losses have come to No. 1 Bryce Meredith of Wyoming and No. 2 Kevin Jack of NC State, all by decision.

Venz leads starters in pins (7) and has defeated four top-11 opponents.

Schultz is 10-5 on the year with four of his losses coming to top-10 opponents. He did not place at the Cliff Keen Invitational, but gained valuable experience as he took top-ranked Kollin Moore of Ohio State right to the end in a 3-2 loss.

Beau Breske has also been featured in the lineup since early December, as he is 10-3 on the year with a win over a ranked opponent at the Cliff Keen Invitational. He notched his first dual win over Adis Radoncic of North Carolina, and followed it up with a pair of wins against Illinois and Maryland.

New Contributors Record First Dual Wins

With six starters, including three All-Americans, lost to graduation from a season ago, Nebraska’s starting lineup is dramatically different than it was a season ago.

Seven Huskers saw their first dual action of their careers in a Nebraska singlet for Nebraska this season, as Kris Williams (125), Mitchell Maginnis (125), Zak Hensley (133), Brian Peska (133), Jason Renteria (133), Chad Red Jr. (141), Johnny Blankenship (165), Isaiah White (165), Beau Breske (174), Taylor Venz (184) and Eric Schultz (197) have each been inserted into Nebraska’s dual lineup for the first time this season.

Five Huskers picked up their first dual wins of their careers so far this season, as Williams, White and Schultz each won by decision against Wyoming, while Venz and David Jensen (HWT) both won by technical falls in the Wyoming dual. Breske won his first dual match against North Carolina, while Maginnis and Renteria both earned their first dual wins against Maryland.

Huskers Working Through Tough Schedule

Nebraska will face seven teams in dual action in 2017-18 that finished in the top 25 at the NCAA Championships last season: Michigan (10th), Illinois (11th), Wisconsin (13th), NC State (17th), Rutgers (19th), Wyoming (21st) and Stanford (24th).

In addition, NU has nine teams on the slate currently ranked in the USA Today/NWCA Coaches Poll: NC State (6th), Michigan (8th), Illinois (14th), Rutgers (16th), Northwestern (20th), Wisconsin (21st), Wyoming (22nd), Purdue (24th) and North Carolina (25th).

Scouting Northwestern

2017-18 Dual Record: 7-1 (2-1 Big Ten)

  • Wins (7): Gardner-Webb (37-3), Old Dominion (17-16), Maryland (34-12), Northern Colorado (24-20), CSU Bakersfield (27-13), Cal Poly (30-8), #16 Wisconsin (18-14)
  • Loss (1): #14 Illinois (18-17)

Finished second at the Keystone Classic, led by a first-place finish by Sebastian Rivera (125)

Placed sixth at the Midlands Championships with 85.5 points, led by third-place finishes by Rivera (125) and Ryan Deakin (149)

Four Wildcats are ranked in the latest InterMat poll, including a top-five wrestler in No. 4 Ryan Deakin (149)

Northwestern is coached by Matt Storniolo (Third season at Northwestern/overall)

  • Record at Northwestern/overall: 16-22

All-Time Against Northwestern

Nebraska is 12-2 all-time against Northwestern in a series that dates back to the 1921-22 season. Nebraska has won the last 10 meetings in the series, including all four matchups as Big Ten opponents.

Scouting Rutgers

2017-18 Dual Record: 4-3 (1-2 Big Ten)

  • Wins (4): Maryland (27-9), #19 Oklahoma (22-9), Virginia (21-9), #24 North Carolina (18-17)
  • Losses (3): Lock Haven (22-16), #7 Iowa (23-15), #2 Ohio State (29-11)

Nick Suriano (125) and Joseph Grello (174) won individual titles at the Black Knight Invitational

Placed second at the Midlands Championships with 109.5 points, as Suriano (125) placed first

Six Scarlet Knights are ranked in the latest InterMat poll, including a top-five wrestler in No. 2 Nick Suriano (125)

Rutgers is coached by Scott Goodale (11th season at Rutgers/overall)

  • Record at Rutgers/overall: 157-58-1

All-Time Against Rutgers

Nebraska is 3-1 all-time against Rutgers in a series that was first contested in 2003. The Huskers won the first three matchups in the series, including the first matchup as conference foes in the 2014-15 season, before RU took the last meeting in 2015.