No. 23 Rutgers wrestling ends season with 2 difficult matches vs. No. 1 Penn State, No. 10 Nebraska
After defeating Maryland 28-7 at College Park, Maryland, the Rutgers wrestling team will finish out its dual schedule with Penn State at home and Nebraska on the road. The Scarlet Knights (10-5, 2-4) will have to win both of these matches in order to finish with a .500 record in Big Ten play.
The Nittany Lions (13-0, 6-0) will be No. 23 Rutgers’ highest-rated opponent of the season. The Knights have never been victorious over No. 1 Penn State in wrestling, and they have a 0-7 record against the Nittany Lions. The only Rutgers wrestler in this match that has a higher ranking than his opponent is No. 16 sophomore 125-pounder Dean Peterson.
Penn State has beaten three Big Ten schools that the Knights have lost to. These schools include No. 9 Michigan, No. 4 Ohio State and No. 22 Indiana, who have all beaten Rutgers by at least 8 points. The Nittany Lions have also beaten No. 2 Iowa by 9 points, cementing their spot as the best team in the country. The Knights will need to have all wrestlers put on their best performance if they hope to compete in this matchup.
Rutgers will also have to travel west to face the Cornhuskers (9-3, 5-1). No. 10 Nebraska's resume includes five ranked wins, one of which came against Northwestern, who took down the Knights by 22 points on January 29. The Cornhusker’s best wrestler, No. 1 157-pounder Peyton Robb, presents a very unfavorable matchup for Rutgers as its middleweights, particularly the 157-pounders, have struggled in recent weeks.
The Knights will need a strong performance all around, especially from the middleweights, if they hope to overcome Nebraska.
Some good news for Rutgers, though, is that No. 21 junior 285-pounder Boone McDermott has returned to competing. During his injury, the Knights failed to notch a win in the heavyweights, subbing in two different wrestlers in the process. With his return, Rutgers will have a greater chance of winning as long as the team remains competitive in the lighter weights.
Another positive for the Knights is that their middleweights, which have struggled in Big Ten play, posted a winning 2-1 record in their last match against the Terrapins (8-7, 0-6). If they can use this as momentum and ride it into this weekend, that will give Rutgers its best shot to win both matches. Though, if these weights struggle as they have in the past, it will be a long weekend for the Knights.
Rutgers will need to win both of these matches if they hope for beneficial placement in the Big Ten tournament.
The match against Penn State will take place at Jersey Mike's Arena on Livingston campus at 7 p.m. tomorrow. The Knights will commemorate its seniors during its annual Senior Day. The battle against the Nittany Lions will be Rutgers’ last home game of the season and will be broadcasted on Big Ten Network and 88.7 WRSU-FM.
The match against the Cornhuskers will be on Sunday in Lincoln, Nebraska, with the time yet to be announced, and will also be broadcasted on Big Ten Network+.
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