OSU senior 141-pounder Nathan Morgan picked up a key win for the Cowboys when he pinned Illinois' Ryan Prater at the 4:33 mark to help lift OSU to victory. Morgan, known more for his proficiency as a technician than his ability to pin opponents, had only four pins in his career entering Saturday. He was the only Cowboy to earn bonus points against the Illini.
"It seemed like all weekend it was a slugfest just trying to get comfortable," Head Coach John Smith said. "It was almost like we had a hangover from last week. This wasn't the same team that went into Iowa."
Fellow senior Coleman Scott was a winner against Illinois to cap a perfect 4-0 weekend, as he notched a 3-2 win over No. 9 Jimmy Kennedy. The nation's top-ranked wrestler at 133 pounds, Scott now has two wins over top-10 opponents this year and three victories over ranked opponents. He wasn't the only Cowboy to taste victory over a ranked Illinois wrestler Saturday, as Jake Dieffenbach was a 3-2 winner over No. 15 Roger Smith-Bergsrud at 165 pounds, Brandon Mason was a 4-2 winner over No. 16 John Dergo at 174 pounds and Jared Rosholt was a 6-3 winner over No. 16 John Wise at heavyweight.
Suiting up for the Cowboys for the first time this year at the Virginia Duals, 184-pounder Jack Jensen was impressive, picking up bonus points in both of his matches Friday and following that performance up by claiming a 7-1 win over Illinois' Ben Friedl Saturday.
"Jack Jensen looked alive out there," Smith said. "Not that he wrestled people that he'll have to face to be an All-American, but he scored at key times when he needed to."
No. 13 Newly McSpadden had a chance to pick up a big win at 157 pounds when he faced off against No. 1 Mike Poeta of Illinois, but Poeta controlled the match to the tune of an 8-2 victory.
Scott, Morgan, McSpadden, Dieffenbach, Mason and Rosholt were all winners as the Pokes claimed a 20-13 win over Pennsylvania in the semifinal round.
The Cowboys return to action at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 19 when they travel to Columbia, Mo., to face No. 8 Missouri
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