The Cornhuskers entered the 2005-06 campaign ranked 19th in the nation. Since then, Head Coach Mark Manning's team has defied expectations, entering the top five with a stellar performance at the NWCA National Duals Jan. 14-15. Unseeded to open the tournament, the Cornhuskers knocked off No. 6 Iowa, No. 4 Michigan and No. 9 Central Michigan on the way to a third-place finish.
Head Coach Brian Smith leads a talented squad into Lincoln, looking for the third win of his career against the Cornhuskers. Over the past four years the two teams have split their meetings, with Missouri earning victories in 2002 and 2003 and Nebraska getting back-to-back victories the past two years. Wrestling in Columbia, Mo., last season, the Cornhuskers were able to come away with a 26-12 victory, sporting a vastly different squad than the one that will step onto the mat Sunday.
Headlining the dual will be one of the most anticipated bouts of Missouri's season thus far, a battle between the top wrestlers on either team, the Tigers' Ben Askren (Hartland, Wis.) and Nebraska's Jacob Klein. Ranked No. 1 in the nation at 174 pounds, Askren has compiled a 32-0 record in convincing fashion, scoring bonus points in every bout. In the midst of putting together the most dominating individual season in Missouri history, Askren has racked up 23 falls, six technical falls, two major decisions and an injury default. The junior faces possibly his toughest opponent of the season in third-ranked Klein, a 2004 All-American who has only been defeated once after moving up to 174 pounds for his senior campaign.
Immediately following the showcase bout at 174 pounds, a pair of freshman phenoms will shake hands at 184 pounds, with No. 15 Raymond Jordan (New Bern, N.C.) of Missouri squaring off against the Huskers' Vince Jones, ranked No. 14 in the country. Jordan has been on a tear recently, extending a five-match winning streak with last Sunday's 4-2 defeat of Oklahoma State's Rusty Blackmon. Jordan upset three ranked opponents at the NWCA National Duals Jan. 14-15, including a 5-4 triumph over No. 2 Paul Bradley of Iowa.
In a dual featuring a pair of teams with talented wrestlers among the heavier weight classes, both the 165-pound and 197-pound weight classes offer bouts between ranked opponents. Ranked No. 5 at 165 pounds, junior Matt Pell (Luxemburg, Wis.) will face off against Nebraska's Marc Harwood, while No. 20 Jeff Foust (Blue Springs, Mo.) returns from an early-season injury to step onto the mat against No. 2 B.J. Padden.
The match starts at 2 p.m. CST and a broadcast can be viewed for free at www.huskers.com
Recommended Comments
There are no comments to display.
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now