Friday night's dual meet between Purdue and #3 Iowa looked one-sided on paper and lived up to that billing on the mat as well. Iowa rolled to a 34-6 victory over Purdue, taking 8 of 10 matches overall and scoring bonus points in six of those wins, including four technical falls. Iowa improved to 8-0 overall and 3-0 in Big Ten competition. Purdue fell to 5-5 overall and 0-2 in Big Ten action.
Before the dual, I predicted a lopsided Iowa victory (check) and that the Hawkeyes would get back on the bonus point train (check). Of course, I also predicted a shutout for Iowa (nope) and a pin (no), so I didn't nail everything.
The most interesting match of the dual was the very first match, as 125 pitted #1-ranked Drake Ayala against #2 Matt Ramos. After a scoreless first period, Ramos got a quick escape in the second period and a takedown late in the period to take a 4-0 lead. Ayala got a quick escape of his own to start the third period, but wasn't able to get an equalizing takedown of his own. He came close and was in deep on Ramos' leg at one point, but wasn't able to finish.
Unfortunately, Ayala's stint as the #1-ranked wrestler at 125 will be a short-lived one, at least this time. This loss was disappointing after the strong run of form that Ayala had been on, but it could be beneficial in the long run. This may not be the only time Ayala faces Ramos this season -- rematches at the Big Ten and NCAA Tournaments seem very plausible -- so getting a feel for wrestling him here and learning from this defeat could pay off down the line.
133 kicked off a run of six straight wins for Iowa, as the Hawkeyes took firm control of the dual. Cullan Schriever got the start for Iowa and after giving up an early takedown and over a minute of riding time, he roared back with plenty of offense of his own. Schriever got a takedown of his own to end the first period, before pouring on several more takedowns in the second and third periods. He wasn't able to complete the technical fall, but did pick up a dominant 20-7 major decision.
#1 Real Woods added a second consecutive major decision win for Iowa, earning a methodical 8-0 major decision win over slippery and scramble-happy freshman Greyson Clark. Woods used solid fundamentals to pick up a takedown in the first, then added some solid rides, another takedown, and an escape point to secure his 8-0 win. Not the flashiest victory, but a very solid win.
Victor Voinovich III got his first start in several weeks at 149 and certainly made the most of his opportunity. Voinovich's early matches this season were often marked by a conservative approach and low-scoring results, but Friday's match was nothing like that. He exploded out of the gate and never let up, chaining takedowns together again and again en route to a 19-4 technical fall victory. This was exactly the sort of performance Voinovich needed to keep himself in the mix for the starting job at 149.
#2 Jared Franek wrapped up the pre-intermission portion of the dual with a tense 2-1 win over #16 Joey Blaze. Franek got an escape and picked up a penalty point from stalling calls against Blaze, but wasn't able to finish any takedowns of his own, which made for a very nervy finish to the match. Blaze's length and scrambling ability posed some problems for Franek, but low-offense matches haven't been too uncommon for Franek this season, either. Wrestling so many matches like that increases the potential for upsets.
Iowa's only other decision win in the dual came at 165, where #6 Michael Caliendo earned a 9-4 decision win over Stoney Buell. Caliendo got a pair of takedowns in the first period and an escape to start the second period, but spent most of the remainder of the match riding Buell and unsuccessful trying to turn him. Given his success from his feet, Caliendo would have had a much better chance to get a major decision win if he had let Buell up earlier in the match and used more attacks from neutral.
#9 Patrick Kennedy got the points flowing again for Iowa, picking up an immediate takedown at 174, before adding two more takedowns in the first period and three more in the second to lock up a 19-4 technical fall. Kennedy was relentless in attacking Brody Baumann's legs and he was rewarded with an easy victory.
Purdue's second (and final) win of the dual came at 184, where James Rowley knocked off Aiden Riggins, 5-1. After a scoreless first period, Rowley get an escape and a quick takedown to start the second, before riding Riggins out for the remainder of the period. Riggins went down to start the third and eventually got an escape, but wasn't able to muster any offense of his own.
The dual wrapped up with back-to-back technical fall wins from #14 Zach Glazier and Bradley Hill, with both men putting on takedown clinics. Glazier was a blur of action in the first period, working a cut-and-release strategy with aplomb as he scored six (!) takedowns in the first period and racked up a 19-5 lead after two minutes. A Glazier escape 13 seconds into the second period clinched the technical fall, as he continued his very strong run of form.
Hill didn't take much longer to get his technical fall at 285, either. Hill strung together four takedowns in the first period, then got an escape to start the second period and added on two more quick takedowns after that to finish off his 19-4 victory. Both Hill and Glazier were facing overmatched opponents, but both did what they should do in that situation and stay aggressive on offense and pour on the points.
In a dual like this, where the competition is so one-sided, results matter a little less than performances and from that standpoint, Iowa looked pretty solid. After seeming a bit flat against Minnesota on Monday, the energy level for Iowa seemed strong here. For the most part, the Iowa wrestlers did a very good job of staying aggressive on offense and looking for more points and getting bonus points when possible. That's the mindset to have in matches like this.
#3 Iowa 22, #10 Minnesota 9
125: #2 Matt Ramos (P) DEC (4-1) #1 Drake Ayala (I)
133: Cullan Schriever (I) MAJ DEC (20-7) Dustin Norris (P)
141: #1 Real Woods (I) MAJ DEC (8-0) #32 Greyson Clark (P)
149: Victor Voinovich III (I) TECH FALL (19-4) Marcus Polanco (P)
157: #2 Jared Franek (I) DEC (2-1) #16 Joey Blaze (P)
165: #6 Michael Caliendo (I) DEC (9-4) Stoney Buell (P)
174: #9 Patrick Kennedy (I) TECH FALL (19-4) Brody Baumann (P)
184: James Rowley (P) DEC (5-1) Aiden Riggins (I)
197: #14 Zach Glazier (I) TECH FALL (20-5) Ben Vanadia (P)
285: Bradley Hill (I) TECH FALL (19-4) Tristan Ruhlman (P)
NEXT: #3 Iowa faces Illinois on the road on Friday, January 26 (8 PM CT, BTN).
