The Big Ten dual began at heavyweight, where Penn State's Aaron Anspach (Columbia, Pa.) met Michigan's Casey White. Anspach, ranked No. 3 nationally, nearly got the first takedown of the bout just seconds in, but White did a fine job of fighting the move off. Still, the tone of the opener was set and Anspach kept up the offensive pressure throughout the first period. Anspach used a solid double-leg and trip combination to get the first takedown at the 1:22 mark to lead 2-1. After a reset, Anspach quickly added a second takedown and led 4-2 after allowing White up on a reset. The Nittany Lion senior carried that 4-2 lead into the second period. White chose down to start the middle stanza and Anspach proceeded to build up a 1:14 riding time edge before White escaped to a 4-3 deficit. Anspach countered a White shot, swung around behind the Wolverine sophomore, and got his third takedown to lead 6-4 with :30 left in the second period. He held that lead, plus a 1:18 time advantage, after two periods. Anspach chose neutral to begin the final period. With 1:00 left, Anspach added a fourth takedown by getting both White's ankles on the mat's edge. White escaped with :30 left, but Anspach guaranteed himself a riding time point. With :05 left, Anspach once again countered a White shot to get a final takedown and post an 11-5 win. The decision put Penn State up 3-0. Anspach improved to 15-2 with the win while White fell to 10-8.
At 125, Nittany Lion Junior Mark McKnight (McDonald, Pa.) took on Michigan's Mike Watts. McKnight entered the bout ranked No. 10. McKnight nearly pinned Watts during an early scramble. While he didn't get the fall, he did get the takedown on the edge of the mat to lead 2-1 after a Watts escape. McKnight added another takedown, forcing Watts back on his heels and driving through his legs with under :30 left. He rode Watts out to lead 4-1 after a period with 1:10 in riding time. Watts chose down to begin the second period, but McKnight would not let up as he put together an outstanding ride and built up over two minutes in riding time before allowing Watts up to a 4-2 deficit. With just :11 left in the second, McKnight piled on a third takedown to lead 6-2 (with a 2:33 time advantage) after five minutes of wrestling. McKnight chose neutral to start the final period and quickly got another takedown just seconds into the period. Hoping for some bonus points, McKnight cut Watts loose after a reset and led by five, 8-3, with 1:15 to wrestle. With the riding time point assured, McKnight added another takedown to lead 10-4. Watts, however, nearly took McKnight down but the Lion junior fought off the move and forced a stalemate with :22 left. Seconds after the reset, McKnight got the takedown he needed to notch a 13-4 major decision and put Penn State up 7-0. McKnight improved to 18-5 on the year while Watts fell to 8-15.
No. 11 Jake Strayer (South Fork, Pa.) met Michigan's Chris Diehl at 133. Diehl immediately wrapped Strayer's head and locked it into his shoulder, but Strayer, showing great strength, simply wrapped his arms around Diehl's chest and put the Michigan freshman to his back, nearly pinning him in one swift move. Diehl, however, fought off Strayer's pinning attempt for :47 seconds and eventually forced a reset. Still, the takedown and three-point near fall put Strayer up 5-0. Strayer maintained his top position for a full 2:00 of the first period to carry that lead and a big time advantage into the second period. He chose down to begin the second period and quickly escaped to a 6-0 lead. Once he had his escape, Strayer immediately added a second takedown to lead 8-0. After building up 2:49 in riding time, Strayer cut Diehl loose. With :20 left, Diehl once again got his arm around Strayer's head. This time, Strayer nearly gave up the takedown, but he gallantly fought off the effort and added a third takedown with just :02 left. Strayer led 10-1 with a big riding time edge heading into the final period. Diehl chose neutral to start the third period and got in on Strayer's right leg. Strayer forced a scramble and eventual stalemate to keep his nine point edge and guarantee the riding time point in the process. Strayer stepped back from a low Diehl shot, skipped around behind the Wolverine and got another takedown with :40 left to wrestle, upping his lead to 12-2. The Nittany Lion sophomore went on to post a 13-2 major decision to give Penn State an 11-0 lead. Strayer improved to 19-4 on the year while true freshman Diehl fell to 4-15.
At 141, Nittany Lion senior Bryan Heller (Fair Haven, N.J.) met Michigan's Justin Chrzanowski. Chrzanowski got the first takedown of the bout, finishing off a frantic scramble by gaining control of Heller at the 2:15 mark. The Nittany Lion senior could not break free of the Wolverine freshman for the remainder of the period and trailed 2-0 after one. Chrzanowski, with 2:15 in riding time on top of his two point lead, chose down to begin the second period. Heller took his turn at controlling the action, keeping his advantage for a minute before Chrzanowski worked his way to a reversal to lead 4-0. Heller, however, quickly answered with his own reversal and cut the lead to 4-2 after two periods. Down by two and facing 1:19 in time, Heller chose neutral to start the final period. Heller got in on a high double-leg at the 1:32 mark, but Chrzanowski countered the move and, after a lengthy scramble, got a takedown to lead 6-2 with just :55 left. Chrzanowski kept control of Heller for the rest of the period and posted a 7-2 upset win. The victory cut Penn State's lead to 11-3 and dropped Heller to 16-8. Chrzanowski picked up his second win of the year and moved to 2-8.
Nittany Lion freshman Dan Vallimont (Lake Hopatcong, N.J.) met Michigan's Josh Churella in one of two bouts featuring two ranked grapplers. Vallimont entered the bout ranked No. 16 while Churella, a returning All-American, was ranked No. 3. Churella quickly got out to a 2-0 lead with a takedown at the 2:30 mark and led 2-1 after Vallimont escaped with half the period left. Heller nearly took the lead with a quick shot and takedown at the :20 mark, but Churella used his speed to step out of the move and the Wolverine led 2-1 after one period with :54 in time. Churella chose down to start the middle stanza and escaped to a 3-1 lead with 1:43 to wrestle. The Wolverine junior used a high double leg for his second takedown and a 4-1 lead. Vallimont escaped with :34 left in the second, cutting the lead to 5-2 but facing 1:26 in riding time. The Lion freshman nearly got his takedown as the period wound down, but the clock hit zeros to send the hotly contested bout to the third period with Vallimont trailing 5-2. Vallimont chose down to start the third and escaped to a 5-3 deficit. Churella iced the bout with a takedown with just :35 left to wrestle and would maintain his top position for the remainder of the bout to notch an 8-3 win. The victory, Michigan's second straight, cut the Lion lead to 11-6. Churella moved to 23-3 with the victory and Vallimont fell to 15-8.
Another Penn State freshman took the mat at 157 as Bubba Jenkins (Virginia Beach, Va.) met Michigan's Jeff Marsh. A bout that opened with plenty of hand-fighting went scoreless throughout the first period. Marsh, a junior, chose down to begin the second period and quickly escaped to a 1-0 lead with 1:44 to wrestle in the middle stanza. Each wrestler continued to work the upper body until Jenkins got in on Marsh's left thigh and nearly got the bout's first takedown with 1:20 left. But Marsh held off long enough to force a stalemate and keep his slim 1-0 lead. Jenkins once again shot at Marsh's left leg, gut Marsh stepped away and fought through the move. After a reset, Jenkins wrapped his arms around Marsh's chest and began working the Wolverine junior to the mat. But Marsh fought off the move just long enough and the second period ended with Jenkins just missing out on the takedown call. Down 1-0, the Nittany Lion freshman chose down to start the final period and, instead of just getting an escape to tie the bout, worked his way to a reversal and a 2-1 lead with 1:25 to go in the bout. Jenkins, holding on to Marsh's foot, maintained his control but got hit with a stall warning. The Lion freshman allowed Marsh up at the reset and the bout was tied 2-2 with :35 left to wrestle. Riding time was not an issue. With :20 left, Jenkins used a quick high single leg to get in on Marsh's left leg and finished the move with a key two point takedown with just :12 left. The takedown was enough to give Jenkins an outstanding 4-2 win and put Penn State up 14-6. He improved to 18-7 with the win while Marsh fell to10-11.
Nittany Lion true freshman Dave Rella (Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio) met Michigan All-American Eric Tannenbaum at 165. Tannenbaum carried a No. 2 national ranking with him into the bout. Tannenbaum got the first takedown of the bout at the 2:26 mark and led 2-1 after a Rella escape. The Wolverine All-American added a second takedown with :25 left in the period and rode Rella out for the remainder of the period to lead 4-1 with :51 in riding time after three minutes. Tannenbaum chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 5-1 lead. With 1:00 to go in the second, Tannenbaum added a second takedown, let Rella up, and added another before the period ended to lead 9-2 after two with 1:22 in time. Rella chose down to start the final period and escaped to cut the lead to 9-3. With Tannenbaum looking for a major, Rella stepped up his offensive pressure and began dictating action at the start of the third. But Tannenbaum deftly countered a Rella shot to get fifth takedown with :30 left to up his lead to 11-3 and clinch a riding time point. Tannenbaum maintained control for the rest of the period and posted an impressive 12-3 major decision. The win, the 100th of Tannenbaum's career, cut the Lion lead to 14-10 and gave the UM All-American a 20-0 record. Rella fell to 19-10.
At 174, Nittany Lion All-American James Yonushonis (Philipsburg, Pa.) met Michigan's Jordan Sherrod. Yonushonis, ranked No. 5 nationally, got the first takedown of the bout with a solid single leg at the 1:10 mark and began to build up a riding time point edge. Sherrod escaped to a 2-1 deficit with :25 left, only to nearly give up a last second takedown to the Lion All-American. But time ran out on Yonushonis' attempt and the Penn State senior led 2-1 (with :35 in time) after one. Sherrod chose down to begin the middle period and was allowed up by Yonushonis, tying the score at 2-2. The Nittany Lion co-captain quickly added a second takedown to up his lead to 4-2. Yonushonis put together a strong ride and nearly turned Sherrod to his back. But the Wolverine freshman managed to stay off his back and the second period ended with Yonushonis leading 4-2 with more than 2:00 of riding time. Yonushonis chose down to start the final period and quickly escaped to a 5-2 lead. He used a fast double-leg to up his lead to 7-3 after letting Sherrod up. With 1:00 left, began working towards a major decision. With a riding time point assured, the Lion senior got his fourth takedown at the :30 mark. Letting Sherrod up and needing one more two-point move to get the bonus point, Yonushonis turned the trick with a takedown at the :18 second mark. Yonushonis rode Sherrod out and, with the time advantage, posted a 12-4 major decision. The win put Penn State up 18-10 and improved Yonushonis to 26-3 on the year. Sherrod fell to 3-8.
Penn State sophomore Phil Bomberger (Port Royal, Pa.) took on Michigan's Tyrel Todd at 184. Todd carried a No. 4 national ranking with him into the bout. Todd quickly got out on top with a takedown less than :30 into the bout. After half a minute, Bomberger escaped but Sherrod quickly took the Lion sophomore down to lead 4-2 after a Bomberger escape. The No. 4 ranked Wolverine put together four takedowns before Bomberger nearly added one of his own. Action moved off the mat, however, and Sherrod led 8-4 with :30 left. After a reset, Sherrod added another takedown and led 10-4 with 1:19 in time after one period. Bomberger chose down to begin the second period. Sherrod would dominate from the top position and eventually pin Bomberger at the 4:38 mark. The six team points cut Penn State's lead to 18-16 and moved Todd to 20-4 on the year. Bomberger fell to 8-11.
With the dual on the line, Nittany Lion junior Phil Davis (Harrisburg, Pa.), the nation's top-ranked 197-pounder, met Michigan's Nick Roy. Roy was ranked No. 20. Davis wasted no time, getting a takedown at the 2:17 mark and going up 2-1 after a Roy escape. Davis added another takedown at the 1:00 mark and began working for back points on top. While not managing to turn Roy to his back, Davis worked up a 1:14 riding time edge to go along with his 4-1 lead after one period. Davis chose down to start the second and quickly escaped to a 5-1 lead. Davis continued to apply the pressure but could not break through Roy's defense. Roy, down 5-1 and facing 1:05 in time, chose neutral to begin the third period. Right off the final stanza's opening whistle, Roy got in on Davis' ankle but the Lion All-American fought the move off and forced a reset with 1:20 left. No more scoring took place over the course of the last minute and Davis posted a hard-fought 5-1 win. The win clinched the Nittany Lion victory by a 21-16 score. Davis moved to 21-1 on the year while Roy fell to 16-8.
Penn State won six of the dual's ten bouts. The Wolverines notched four bonus points to Penn State's three but the Nittany Lions owned a 22-15 edge in takedowns. Penn State's win broke a three-dual slide against the Wolverines and gave Penn State its first win over UM since 2003-04
Head coach Troy Sunderland's Nittany Lions, now 13-5 overall and 4-3 in the Big Ten, will head to East Lansing for a Sunday dual with the Spartans. Action begins at 1 p.m. in the final dual match of the season for the Penn State. Michigan falls to 2-9-1, 1-6 in conference duals.
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