“Our lineup isn’t really like a one-two punch; it’s pretty much like a 10-punch knockout.”  

Those were the words of Penn State wrestling’s Luke Lilledahl after the team defeated No. 6-ranked Nebraska 26-12 Friday night. It’s hard to say it any better.  

While the win over the Cornhuskers didn’t come easily, the Nittany Lions still asserted their dominance. Penn State finished the night with 30 takedowns to Nebraska’s four, collected four bonus point victories, and extended its dual meet winning streak to 83 consecutive duals. 

It was easily Penn State’s toughest test of the season, as the Nittany Lions dropped three close matches, the most they have lost in a single dual all year. Head coach Cael Sanderson viewed the night as a valuable test that would prepare them for the difficult stretch ahead.  

“A lot of good practice tonight, a lot of tough situations. I think it was a great match for us, great preparation,” Sanderson said. “[Nebraska is] good at every weight, and some of those guys are the guys you want to beat if you want to become a national champion.” 

It comes as no surprise that Cael Sanderson and his team come into every dual with a target on their backs. Opponents consistently enter duals against Penn State with a clear objective: to keep the Penn State wrestlers from wrestling. This strategy has become increasingly evident in recent duals and was on full display Friday night.  

Constant hand fighting and distance management made it difficult for the Penn State wrestlers to generate offense, leading to several low-scoring bouts and visible frustration on the mat. Sanderson, however, acknowledged it as another challenge his team must navigate.  

“That’s just a tactic we are seeing from most teams. Kind of just jabbing us in the face and backing up. We see it every week, so it’s nothing new,” Sanderson said. “It’s hard to wrestle. Refs don’t really call stalling traditionally anymore, so it’s just the way it is.”  

The crowd didn’t hold back in expressing its disapproval, repeatedly urging officials to call stalling violations on the Cornhusker wrestlers. True freshman PJ Duke’s match against defending national champion Antrell Taylor was no exception. Taylor appeared to make minimal effort to attack, instead focusing on slowing Duke’s attempts to secure a takedown. In the end, Duke suffered his first collegiate loss, falling 2-1 in a match decided by a double ride-out.

“It’s a great match for him to get. Tough loss in the double ride-out situation,” Sanderson said. “We just have to be able to close that gap, get our tie-ups, and do our thing.”  

Penn State will look to build on the performance next week, as the Nittany Lions travel to Ann Arbor for another tough matchup against No. 10 Michigan on Friday, February 6, at 6 p.m.