#2 Iowa wrestling improved to 8-0 overall and 1-0 in Big Ten competition this season, opening up the Big Ten portion of the dual meet calendar with a 25-19 win over Illinois (2-3). The Illini were unranked and entered the dual at 2-2 on the season, but they made Iowa battle at several weights and kept the dual close throughout. In fact, both teams won five matches in the dual, but bonus points proved to be the difference, with Iowa picking up extra points in four of their five wins, courtesy of two pins, a DQ, and a major decision. Illinois had a pair of bonus point wins of their own (a pin and a major decision), but couldn't quite match the firepower of Iowa's best wrestlers.

The first few matches of the dual meet featured plenty of fireworks. Spencer Lee got Iowa off to a fast start with a formula that's become very familiar to Iowa fans: takedown, turn, turn, pin.

Illinois responded with a first period pin of their own, though, with #10 Lucas Byrd catching #17 Cullan Schriever on the edge of the mat as he tried to escape and taking him to his back with only seconds remaining in the period. The Illini took their first lead of the dual minutes later, after Danny Pucino raced to a 20-8 major decision win over Drew Bennett at 141 lbs. The bonus point spree continued at 149, where Max Murin worked a takedown clinic on Kevon Davenport in the first period, and then locked the exhausted-looking Davenport in a cradle for the pin in the second period. Illinois took a 13-12 lead into intermission after Mike Carr won an action-packed match (12-7) over #17 Cobe Siebrecht at 157 lbs.

Out of intermission at 165 lbs was one of the top matches of the night, pitting two wrestlers ranked in the Top 13 at that weight. #11 Patrick Kennedy wrestled perhaps his best match of the season, showing plenty of aggression and crisp finishing technique to take an early lead on #13 Danny Braunagel and then finishing strong with a feet-to-back takedown plus near points at the end of the match to earn a major decision. The next three bouts featured little scoring but a lot of tension and all were decided late. At 174, Illinois prevailed with #10 Edmond Ruth (the little brother of former Penn State great Ed Ruth) beating #16 Nelson Brands with an escape in the overtime ride-out sessions. At 184, Iowa got a 3-1 victory with #8 Abe Assad getting a third period takedown and ride-out to beat #29 Dylan Connell. Illinois got their own 3-1 win at 197, with #13 Zac Braunagel upsetting #6 Jacob Warner with a takedown in the final seconds of the third period. The dual meet was tied 19-19 after nine matches, with only heavyweight to go. #3 Tony Cassioppi rolled through Illinois' Matt Wroblewski to win the dual-deciding match, scoring takedowns in the first and second periods, adding near fall points in the second, and getting several stall calls throughout. In fact, he got enough stall calls on Wroblewski (five) to earn a DQ victory in the third period.

Iowa heads on the road to face Purdue (4-3) at Holloway Gymnasium in West Lafayette, IN on Sunday, January 8 (1 PM CT, BTN). The Boilermakers are unranked on the season and have ranked wrestlers at just three weights (125, 141, 157), though two of them (#9 Matt Ramos at 125 and #3 Kendall Coleman at 157) are ranked in the Top 10 at their respective weights.