Huskers Take on #1 Penn State at Home Friday Night

The No. 6 Nebraska wrestling team is set to host No. 1 Penn State in Lincoln for the first time in five years for a top-10 Big Ten matchup on Friday night. The Huskers (6-1, 1-0 Big Ten) are coming off a 21-13 upset dual win over Minnesota, and seek to tally another conference victory at the “Coach’s Challenge,” set for 8 p.m. (CT) on BTN. 

The Nittany Lions have not lost a dual since Jan. 31, 2020, and bring nine wrestlers ranked top-5 nationally to Lincoln. The last time the Huskers hosted PSU, Big Red fans set the attendance record for wrestling at the Bob Devaney Sports Center with 5,960 in attendance. NU lost the dual, 20-18, but the two-point defeat was the smallest margin for a Husker loss between the programs. The last time the Big Red took down Penn State was in 2010.

On the slate, there is only one potential rematch. At 141, #3 Beau Bartlett and #6 Brock Hardy have met on the mat twice and are 1-1. Since last season, four Nittany Lions have gone up weight classes in the offseason, while four Huskers have moved down. The dual will likely feature tight top-5 ranked matchups as close as #4 Ridge Lovett and #2 Shayne Van Ness at 149 and #5 Antrell Taylor and #3 Tyler Kasak at 157.

Tickets for the Friday night dual can be purchased at huskers.com/tickets. The matchup will also be televised on the Big Ten Network, with live stats will be available on TrackWrestling.

HISTORY
Series: Penn State leads 12-8-1
Last Meeting: Feb. 18, 2024 in University Park, Pa. (Penn State won 22-13) 

UP NEXT
The Huskers head to Michigan for a double-dual weekend. NU will start at No. 15 Michigan in Ann Arbor on Friday, Jan. 24 at 6 p.m. (CT), which will be televised on BTN. On Sunday, Jan. 26, the Big Red take on Michigan State at noon and will be streamed on B1G+.

No. 6 Nebraska Projected Lineup:
125: #6 Caleb Smith (12-3, 3-1) or Kael Lauridsen (3-1, 1-0)
133: #16 Jacob Van Dee (7-5, 4-2)
141: #6 Brock Hardy (13-2, 4-1) or Blake Cushing (3-2, 2-0)
149: #4 Ridge Lovett (10-1, 6-0)
157: #5 Antrell Taylor (14-1, 5-1)
165: #7 Bubba Wilson (9-4, 2-2) or Christopher Minto (13-1, 1-1)
174: #15 Lenny Pinto (13-3, 5-0)
184: #7 Silas Allred (11-2, 3-2) or Ethan DeLeon (10-2, 0-1)
197: #22 Camden McDanel (12-6, 3-2)
HWT: #24 Harley Andrews (8-7, 3-3)

No. 1 Penn State Projected Lineup:
125: #12 Luke Lilledahl (9-0, 7-0)
133: #5 Braeden Davis (6-1, 6-1)
141: #3 Beau Bartlett (10-0, 6-0)
149: #2 Shayne Van Ness (10-0, 6-0)
157: #3 Tyler Kasak (9-0, 6-0) or Alex Facundo (5-0, 1-0)
165: #1 Mitchell Mesenbrink (11-0, 7-0)
174: #2 Levi Haines (9-1, 6-1)
184: #1 Carter Starocci (10-0, 7-0)
197: #4 Josh Barr (8-0, 6-0) or Lucas Cochran (4-0, 1-0)
HWT: #2 Greg Kerkvliet (10-0, 7-0)