Michigan holds the narrow 22-20 advantage in the all-time series against Penn State, dating back to 1933. The Wolverines have also been dominant of late with wins in eight of the last nine meetings, including a pair of lopsided victories last season. U-M rallied from early deficits in both duals, winning 31-9 in the regular-season affair in Ann Arbor before posting a 29-14 win at the National Duals one week later. Senior/juniors Ryan Churella (Northville, Mich./Novi HS) and Greg Wagner (Fort Wayne, Ind./Snider HS) played instrumental roles in both wins, each collecting back-to-back falls at 165 pounds and heavyweight, respectively.
Joe McFarland
Michigan head coach Joe McFarland owns a near-perfect 7-1 record against the Nittany Lions since taking the helm of the Wolverine squad while PSU head coach Troy Sunderland owns a 67-65 career record in eight seasons at Penn State and is 1-7 against the Wolverines. The Nittany Lions own a 3-1 record already this season, losing 19-15 to Wisconsin in their most recent outing. Penn State on the Internet: www.GoPSUSports.com.
Marquee Matches
149 Pounds -- #3 Eric Tannenbaum (Michigan) vs. #14 James Woodall (Penn State)
Eric Tannenbaum
Tannenbaum made a pretty successful season debut on Monday (Nov. 21) with a 7-3 win over Oklahoma State's top-ranked Zack Esposito at the NWCA All-Star Classic. He will square off against a ranked opponent for the second time in as many matches when he takes on Penn State's 14th-rank James Woodall. The two wrestlers will meet for the first time as Woodall regains his 149-pound starting role after posting a 10-2 record last season while backing up PSU starter Jack Decker. The Nittany Lion wrestler owns a 2-1 mark in 2005-06 with his lone loss coming in overtime against Wisconsin's Tyler Turner (8-6).
157 Pounds -- #19 Steve Luke (Michigan) vs. #10 Nate Galloway (Penn State)
One week after solidifying his starting role in U-M's lineup, Luke will immediately face his first major challenge when he squares off against Penn State's 10th-ranked Nate Galloway in just his first varsity match. Galloway is 2-2 this season with a pair of big bonus wins and both losses falling in the tiebreaker round. In his most recent outing, Galloway fell to Wisconsin's Craig Henning 5-3. Luke posted a 7-3 record in open tournament competition during his redshirt campaign and, in a successful summer season, represented the United States at the Junior World Championships. Saturday's dual meet will mark his season debut.
Projected match-ups:
125: Jim Shutich (Michigan) vs. Brad Pataky or Tim Haas (Penn State)
133: Mark Moos (Michigan) vs. Jake Strayer (Penn State)
141: Josh Churella (Michigan) vs. DeWitt Driscoll (Penn State)
149: Eric Tannenbaum (Michigan) vs. James Woodall (Penn State)
157: Steve Luke (Michigan) vs. Nate Galloway (Penn State)
165: Ryan Churella (Michigan) vs. Phil Bomberger or Brian Cantalupi (Penn State)
174: Nick Roy (Michigan) vs. James Yonushonis (Penn State)
184: Tyrel Todd (Michigan) vs. Eric Bradley or Neil Bretz (Penn State)
197: Willie Breyer (Michigan) vs. Phil Davis (Penn State)
Hwt: Greg Wagner (Michigan) vs. Joel Edwards (Penn State)
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