Iowa's Tom Brands talks about sophomore freshman Ben Kueter
Hear Iowa Wrestling's Tom Brands talk about sophomore recruits Ben Kueter and Nebraska
No. 3 Iowa Wrestling made the treacherous trip to Lincoln, Nebraska to play a road meet in a snowstorm and came out with a huge 22-10 victory over No. 6 Nebraska.
The Hawkeyes won seven of 10 games, including six against ranked opponents.
Drake Ayala and Zach Glazier were two big standouts for the Hawkeyes. In a weight class where there were no clear title contenders, Ayala established himself as a legitimate athlete with a start-to-start victory over No. 7 Caleb Smith. It was the most aggressive game he had shown all season and he hit several shots en route to a 7-3 win.
Glazier secured the double victory for the Hawkeyes with his 14th win of the season. Undefeated this season, he celebrated his biggest win to date over reigning Big Ten champion Silas Allred. He controlled from start to finish and racked up almost two minutes of riding time in the match.
These two guys, along with others like Real Woods and Jared Franek, were a huge success in Iowa's victory over a long-time rival. During coach Tom Brands' tenure at Iowa, he has never lost to the Cornhuskers (15-0).
Here's a game-by-game breakdown of how Iowa did it and maintained its bragging rights of being the superior wrestling program in a corn-growing state:
More: Here's how to watch and listen to Iowa wrestling's Big Ten Conference opener against Nebraska
125 pounds: Drake Ayala of Iowa vs. Caleb Smith of Nebraska
In a duel between No. 5 and No. 7 in a class with no clear leader, this was a chance for both to prove themselves.
Midway through the first period, Smith began fending off Ayala's attack on his ankle, but Ayala was able to escape Smith's hold on his arm and fly around for a takedown before Smith ducked out of bounds. After an escape from Smith, Ayala won a battle behind Smith and secured another three points before the end of the first period. Smith jumped out to a two-point lead, while Ayala jumped out to a quick lead early in the third period to cap the Fort Dodge native's outstanding 7-3 win.
Ayala got on offense, defended shots well and looked as aggressive as we've seen him in an Iowa jersey this season.
133 pounds: Brody Teske of Iowa vs. Jacob Van Dee of Nebraska
Teske was the favorite here, but Van Dee made things difficult from the start. After firing off a few ankle strikes, Van Dee finally converted one into a takedown late in the first period, putting Teske nearly on his back in a dangerous position. Teske showed great urgency and made an escape route.
Van Dee got a takedown late in the second and late in the third, but Teske managed just enough to fend off the deciding decision and take a 10-4 score.
141 pounds: Real Woods of Iowa vs. Brock Hardy of Nebraska
This was the second round of top 10 duels in this matchup, with both guys knowing each other quite well. Woods (No. 1) and Hardy (No. 7) faced each other three times last year, including in the final of the Big Ten Tournament and the semifinals of the NCAA Championships.
In their first matchup this season, Woods started the contest with a three-point win and held the contest for the remainder of the first period. That alone would be enough, as Lovett only scored once by escape and once by a delaying call, but Woods recorded another takedown early in the third period to secure a 7-2 victory.
Woods continues to win big this year at No. 1 at 141 pounds. Woods is easily the national title favorite right now because of how consistently he takes care of business.
149 pounds: Caleb Rathjen of Iowa and Ridge Lovett of Nebraska
This was a big fight for Rathjen, who wanted to continue to prove he was the man at 149 after his comfortable win over Anthony Ferrari at Soldier Salute.
Rathjen fended off Lovett's attacks in the first half, holding on to a 0-0 draw, but hardly fired any shots. In the second period, Lovett escaped from a bottom position and secured a delay point to take a 2-0 lead. Midway through the third round, Rathjen finally shot at the leg of Lovett, but the No. 1 wrestler at 149 pounds showed exactly why he is in that spot. Lovett spun straight out of the barrier, around his leg and behind Rathjen, giving him three points. With one driving time, Lovett won 6-0.
One would have liked to see Rathjen be a little more aggressive, but against a guy like Lovett it's really difficult. Lovett thrives on scoring on counterattacks, so it's a difficult balance for the sophomore in a game like this.
157 pounds: Jared Franek of Iowa vs. Peyton Robb of Nebraska
On paper, this was the duel of the night, pitting No. 2 Franek and No. 3 Robb against each other. Robb appeared to be able to get a takedown late in the first period, reaching Franek's ankle and getting close to the takedown. Somehow, Franek managed to entangle Robb in a neck vertebra and free himself from it, leaving the ball scoreless in the first period.
After Franek escaped early in the second period, Robb planted the Hawkeye by reaching his ankle and tripping him on his knee, making it a 3-2 lead after Franek made another quick escape. With Robb trailing 4-2 early in the final frame, Franek needed a point to stay alive. With less than a minute to go, Franek ducked down and wrapped his arms around Robb's back, giving him three points and the win.
This is the first time this season that we've seen Franek in a position where he had to play offensively. At that moment he displayed an impressive quick-wittedness and aggressiveness that we haven't seen often before. He is now 15-0 on the season.
165 pounds: Michael Caliendo of Iowa vs. Antrell Taylor of Nebraska
For a 165-pounder, Caliendo exudes considerable speed and athleticism. After winning a fast-paced battle for a takedown in the first, Caliendo came back for more in the second. At the start of the second round, Caliendo dug deep to beat Taylor in double leg to take a 7-1 lead. From there, he added another minute or ride time and allowed two breakaways, but held on in the end to secure an 8-3 win.
Caliendo showed with the way he approaches his offense that he's probably the biggest beneficiary of Iowa's three-point loss. Aside from his loss to Iowa State legend and former national champion David Carr in November, he has continued to show that he is a threat to anyone in his class.
174 pounds: Patrick Kennedy of Iowa vs. Bubba Willson of Nebraska
Since there was a tie at the start of the third period, Kennedy elected to finish in last place. He escaped quickly, then fired for the takedown and suddenly had an 8-4 lead with over a minute left. Wilson was really aggressive after getting away from Kennedy, but Kennedy did whatever he needed to on defense to hang on.
He fought a truly tough battle from start to finish and showed tremendous improvement in his conditioning since his first appearance of the season against Iowa State in November.
Here the Hawkeyes took firm control of the dual.
184 pounds: Aiden Riggins of Iowa vs. Lenny Pinto of Nebraska
Pinto showed exactly why he is ranked No. 3 in a brutal weight class by scoring five takedowns en route to a major decision victory. Riggins was close to avoiding a loss by decision, but Pinto stepped up and collected enough takedowns to put Nebraska within striking distance, 15-10.
Gabe Arnold is out for Iowa on Friday, meaning he has two more appearances before he burns up a year of eligibility. The saga continues, but the more we see Iowa's 184 losses, the more it looks like Iowa needs him there.
197 pounds: Zach Glazier of Iowa vs. Silas Allred of Nebraska
It's time to put some respect on Glazier's name, now 14-0 on the season and coming off a big win over the reigning Big Ten champions with Allred. Glazier immediately put a hand on Allred's head and ducked low for a single-leg takedown in the first period. He added another takedown in the second period and posted a total riding time of 1:49 in the first four minutes. As time expired, Glazier got one final takedown and won by a decision.
This is the third time Glazier has secured a road matchup for Iowa, previously against Penn and Iowa State. AJ Ferrari could very well join this team at some point, but Glazier is still a really good option for Iowa this year at 197 and shows he can be a championship-caliber guy in the conference.
285 pounds: Bradley Hill of Iowa vs. Nash Hutmacher of Nebraska
No Ben Kueter, although he is listed as a potential option at 285 before the dual. In a potentially amazing battle between Hutmacher and Kueter, both two-sport athletes in football and wrestling, Iowa opted to go with a bigger mound against the one Nebraska calls the Polar Bear. Before the duel, Kueter looked more like his football linebacker form and would have fought a heavyweight who weighs a whopping 285 pounds as a defensive lineman.
Hill put up a nice fight as both boys fought for a way out in the second and third periods and the score remained tied in the third period. Hill got a late takedown, toppling the big man with less than 20 seconds left and ending the Hawkeyes' night with a 22-10 victory.
Eli McKown covers high school sports and wrestling for the Des Moines Register. Contact him at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter at @EMcKown23.