Trash talk has been an unwavering pillar in sports for as long as its inception. From intimidating stares to less-than-kind words, athletes, fans, and even coaches have participated in the mind games, trying to get under the skin of their opponents.

Penn State wrestling is no stranger to this kind of noise, partly due to its over a decade spent as the top dog in the sport. However, the Nittany Lions plan to stand above the noise and their competition as they head into the most anticipated dual on the calendar.

This Friday, No. 1 Penn State will take on No. 2 Iowa in the Bryce Jordan Center. The Nittany Lions have been the victors of the annual rivalry for four of the last five years, most recently defeating the Hawkeyes 29-6 in 2024.

“We don’t really worry about that stuff, it’s just a part of sports,” Sanderson said about the noise coming from Iowa City. “It’s like when you’re a little kid warming up, and the kid across the mat from you is staring at you and trying to intimidate you or something. That’s just sports… I think everyone is used to it, and everybody does their own thing.

“But, it’s not something we think too much about or worry about. We are going to bring our best effort regardless,” Sanderson continued. “We aren’t really thinking about our opponents.”

Sanderson added where he thinks much of today’s trash talk stems from — an answer that may come as a surprise.

“[Trash talk] is probably more normal now with all the different [games],” Sanderson said. “I blame Fortnite, but that’s just because people shoot me and trash talk and dance. But I just think it’s another part of the game. It’s just another aspect, and you can choose to engage in it or not. It doesn’t really matter, it’s up to you… For us, we just enjoy wrestling and competing — the bigger the match, the better we are going to be.”

Starocci, in particular, is no stranger to trash talk, often making himself a target for other wrestlers.

One of Penn State’s top wrestlers has become a broken record of confidence, often saying he enjoys and looks forward to completely dominating his unfortunate opponent, which he almost always backs up. However, his confidence has seemed to ruffle the feathers of Hawkeye redshirt freshman wrestler Gabe Arnold.

“We got Penn State next week, and we didn’t get the job done last year, and that kind of sucks,” Arnold said after Iowa’s dual win over No. 4 Ohio State. “But we’re going to get it done this year. We’re going to be in your home dojo, and I promise you: his head’s mine — book it.”

“[Arnold’s] a starter? I thought the other guy (Angelo Ferrari) was the starter,” Starocci said. “I don’t know. Maybe he’s trying to sell tickets, but I think our crowd comes out every single time, so there’s nothing to sell… I’ll be there Friday night ready to go.”

Mitchell Mesenbrink chose to take a more psychological approach to trash talk and how he handles it, calling those who attempt to use it “insecure.”

“When people feel the need to say something about someone else, it’s usually because when they look at them, there’s a mirror looking back at them that reflects something that they can see they don’t have… That’s it, that’s the entirety of what humans do,” Mesenbrink said. “So when I think about it in that sense, I try not to get caught up in the smack talk or thinking about those other things, because at the end of the day, it’s just a game, and there is no need to make it more than it is.”