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Wrestling: Huskers Down Buckeyes 25-16

No. 10 Nebraska beat shorthanded No. 4 Ohio State Friday night on the road

Mikey Labriola vs Ankaa Enhmandakh
Nebraska’s No. 2 Mikey Labriola (left), see here in a dual against Northwestern, picked up a big win Friday night against No. 5 Ethan Smith of Ohio State.
Dylan Guenther / Corn Nation

The 10th-ranked Huskers won seven of ten matches as they downed No. 4 Ohio State 25-16 on Friday night.

The Buckeyes were without three of their starters, but the Huskers held serve for the win despite forfeiting the final match of the dual at heavyweight.

Nebraska’s Liam Cronin, Peyton Robb and Mikey Labriola all picked up wins over ranked opponents to help the Huskers put the dual away.

With the win, Nebraska improves to 10-3 on the year while Ohio State is now 12-3.

Match-By-Match Breakdown

*FloWrestling individual rankings used

125 pounds

For Nebraska’s No. 3 Liam Cronin, it was another tough match as he took on No. 10 Malik Heinselman.

After a scoreless first period, Heinselman struck first with an escape to start the second. Cronin then added a takedown with a throw-by from an underhook position to go up 2-1 before riding out the period.

In the third, Cronin added an escape point for the eventual 3-1 decision win.

With the win, Cronin is now 16-3 on the year.

Team Score: Nebraska 3, Ohio State 0

133 pounds

Here at 133, Nebraska’s Kyle Burwick ran into a buzzsaw in No. 10 Jesse Mendez.

After Burwick secured the opening takedown, it was all Mendez. The true freshman Buckeye scored a takedown in the first period before adding three takedowns and a reversal in the second. Mendez then put on a takedown clinic in the third as he notched five more takedowns for a 22-11 major decision win over Burwick.

With the loss, Burwick is now 11-6 on the year.

Team Score: Ohio State 4, Nebraska 3

141 pounds

Nebraska’s No. 4 Brock Hardy faced a tough test in a game Dylan D’Emilio.

Hardy started with a pair of takedowns in the first period while he built up a 4-2 lead. Hardy then was reversed by D’Emilio in the second period before getting an escape to go up 5-4 going into the third period.

In the third, Hardy went up by two with another escape. This match featured some incredible scrambles between these two, but D’Emilio was able to get a match-tying takedown as time expired, sending the match into overtime.

In sudden victory, both wrestlers were close to takedowns during an extended scramble on the mat, but it was Hardy who came around for a takedown and the 8-6 decision win.

With the win, Hardy is now 23-3 on the season.

Team Score: Nebraska 6, Ohio State 4

149 pounds

Nebraska’s Dayne Morton took on one of the country’s best in No. 3 Sammy Sasso.

Morton started the match with a throw-by attempt that looked like he had Sasso in trouble, but the Buckeye was able to put Morton in a headlock and put him on his back as he dragged his toes to stay in bounds, taking a 4-0 lead over Morton.

Starting on top, Sasso was able to turn Morton again in the second to go up 9-1. In the third, Morton got caught in one of Sasso’s patented cradles and was pinned with 35 seconds left in the match.

With the loss, Morton falls to 5-10 on the year.

Team Score: Ohio State 10, Nebraska 6

157 pounds

In another tough match, Nebraska’s No. 1 Peyton Robb squeezed out a tight win against No. 21 Paddy Gallagher, a former No. 1-overall recruit.

Robb went up 2-0 with the initial takedown. After an escape by Gallagher, the Buckeye freshman shot hard on a low ankle and took Robb down.

Both wrestlers traded escapes in the second and third periods, putting Robb up 5-4. In the waning seconds, Gallagher was able to nearly get a takedown on Robb. The officials reviewed the sequence and called no takedown, giving Robb a narrow 5-4 decision win.

With the win, Robb improves to 21-0 on the year.

Team Score: Ohio State 10, Nebraska 9

165 pounds

Nebraska’s Bubba Wilson faced Ohio State backup Gavin Brown here. Filling in for No. 11 Carson Kharchla, Brown shot right away to start the match but wasn’t able to get much going against Wilson.

Wilson scored a takedown in each of the first two periods before adding two more takedowns in the final period for a 10-4 decision win.

With the win, Wilson is now 11-10 on the year.

Team Score: Nebraska 12, Ohio State 10

174 pounds

In the biggest matchup of the dual, Nebraska’s No. 2 Mikey Labriola took on Ohio State’s No. 5 Ethan Smith.

Smith struck first as he snagged a low ankle shot on Labriola for a takedown. After some impressive defense by Labriola, Smith was able to corral both ankles as the two went out of bounds to go up 2-0. Labriola then escaped and scored a takedown of his own to go up 3-2. Smith tied things 3-3 with a roll for an escape to end the period.

Smith went up 4-3 with an escape to start the second period before Labriola tied things at 4-4 with an escape of his own to start the third. With just two seconds left, Labriola was able to lock up a cradle for a takedown and the 6-4 decision win.

With the win, Labriola stays perfect on the season with a 21-0 record.

Team Score: Nebraska 15, Ohio State 10

184 pounds

For Nebraska’s No. 14 Lenny Pinto, he also faced an Ohio State backup in Gavin Bell who was filling in for No. 5 Kaleb Romero.

Pinto wasted little time as he racked up two first-period takedowns before turning Bell over on his back from a front-headlock position, securing the pinfall win.

With the win, Pinto is now 14-7 on the year.

Team Score: Nebraska 21, Ohio State 10

197 pounds

Nebraska’s No. 10 Silas Allred didn’t see Ohio State’s No. 14 Gavin Hoffman, although Allred beat the Buckeye earlier this season. Instead, Allred took on Luke Geog. A freshman, Geog was 9-0 on the year coming into the match.

Allred was dominant in this one as he notched a first-period takedown before adding an escape and takedown in the second to go up 5-0.

In the third period, Allred eventually cut Geog loose for an escape before adding two more takedowns to earn the 10-2 major decision win.

With the win, Allred is now 20-5 on the year.

Team Score: Nebraska 25, Ohio State 10

285 pounds

Nebraska forfeited their heavyweight match, giving Ohio State six team points.

Team Score: Nebraska 25, Ohio State 16

What’s Next for Nebraska?

Nebraska hosts No. 23 Rutgers Sunday at noon. The dual will air on B1G+ (subscription required).