Penn State Wrestling Takes On Iowa Hawkeyes
You know the drill. Friday night. Carver-Hawkeye Arena. A sea of black and gold screaming loud enough to rattle your molars. It’s the kind of environment that usually chews up visiting teams and spits them out before the first whistle blows. But if we’ve learned anything over the last decade, it’s that Penn State wrestling operates in a different reality—one where crowd noise is just white noise and “rebuilding years” are a myth told to comfort other Big Ten coaches.
Cael Sanderson’s squad rolled into Iowa City riding a comical 78-match winning streak, looking to make it five straight against the Hawkeyes. And while the team score is what goes in the history books, the real story of the night was a grudge match a year in the making.
The “Rizzler” Returns (But the Result Didn’t)
Let’s rewind the tape to last season. True freshman Luke Lilledahl, the future of Penn State at 125 pounds, dropped a gritty 4-1 decision to Rutgers’ Dean Peterson. It happens. Freshmen take lumps. But Peterson didn’t just take the win; he took to social media, throwing shade at Lilledahl and the Nittany Lions with a “Rizzler” reference that aged about as well as milk left on a radiator.
Fast forward to tonight. Peterson is in a new singlet, having transferred to Iowa. As for Lilledahl, he is still in blue and white, but he’s a completely different animal this year.
Coming into the bout ranked No. 2, Lilledahl claimed he wasn’t looking for revenge, telling reporters he just wanted to “show how much I have improved.” Lilledahl didn’t just win; he put on a clinic. He turned a defensive struggle into an offensive highlight reel, racking up takedowns and nearly securing a major decision against the No. 6-ranked wrestler in the country. The final score was 11-5, but the psychological gap felt wider.
Peterson changed schools, but he couldn’t change the trajectory of Lilledahl’s ascent. That 3-0 start for Penn State sucked the air right out of the building.
Fresh Faces, Same Dominance For Penn State
If you thought the Nittany Lions might be vulnerable after graduating some legends, the first half of this dual was a rude awakening. Following Lilledahl, Marcus Blaze stepped onto the mat at 133 pounds.
Blaze wasn’t getting a tune-up match; he was staring down Drake Ayala, a two-time NCAA finalist. In a match that usually favors the crafty veteran, the Penn State rookie looked like he’d been wrestling for a decade. A decisive second-period takedown was all Blaze needed to secure a 4-2 victory. Just like that, it was 6-0, and the Iowa faithful were looking around nervously.
The Hawkeyes Punch Back, But Van Ness Hammers Home
Iowa finally got on the board at 141 pounds, but even that felt like a moral victory for Penn State. True freshman Braeden Davis battled No. 11 Nasir Bailey to the wire. Bailey got an early takedown, the first one PSU gave up all night, and held on for a razor-thin 3-2 decision. Davis nearly snatched the win at the buzzer, proving that even in a loss, this young Nittany Lion lineup is dangerous.
But then Shayne Van Ness happened. At 149 pounds, Van Ness reminded everyone why he’s ranked No. 1. Facing Ryder Block, Van Ness didn’t just want to win; he wanted to end the competitive portion of the evening early. He turned it on in the third period with a takedown and four near fall points, cruising to a 13-4 major decision. That’s bonus points on the road against a ranked opponent.
Halftime Report: A 13-3 Stranglehold
To cap off the first half, freshman PJ Duke walked out at 157 pounds and casually dismantled No. 12 Jordan Williams. A clutch third-period takedown sealed a 4-2 decision, sending Penn State into the locker room with a commanding 13-3 lead.
The breakdown at the half tells the whole story: Penn State held a 7-2 edge in takedowns. In a sport where controlling the neutral game is everything, Sanderson’s crew is simply wrestling a different game than everyone else.
We’ve got five bouts to go, including Mitchell Mesenbrink looking to stay perfect and Levi Haines. But if the first five matches are any indication, the bus ride back to State College is going to be a happy one.
