The No. 22 Indiana Hoosiers produced a stunning result in Madison on Saturday against the No. 15 Wisconsin Badgers. Indiana opened the dual with eight consecutive match victories in what would become a 30-9 statement upset over a ranked conference rival.
No. 18 Jacob Moran opened the dual at 125 pounds for Indiana, and effectively bounced back from his overtime loss in Champaign a week prior. Wisconsin’s No. 15 Nicolar Rivera utilized his incredible rolling skills to slip out of Moran’s grasp before a substantial amount of riding time could be accumulated, but failed to initiate any offense against the Hoosier graduate student. Moran’s late third period takedown secured a 4-2 victory to put the Hoosiers in front early.
Indiana freshman Jackson Blum extended the lead with a monumental win over No. 8 Zan Fugitt in the 133-pound bout. Both wrestlers excelled in the top position, accumulating riding time and forcing the other to fight and claw for an escape. Blum’s smooth takedown late in the third period completed the stunning upset.
Indiana didn’t slow down at 141 pounds, as No. 25 Henry Porter dominated Carson Exferd en route to a 5-1 regular decision win. Poor swiped the lead with a takedown in the first period, and effective riding in the third period disallowed Exferd from establishing a response.
In the 149-pound bout, a second unranked Hoosier upset a ranked Badger. This time, it was redshirt sophomore Joey Buttler over No. 12 Joseph Zargo. Neither wrestler scored more than an escape point in regulation, although Buttler accumulated 56 seconds of riding time and Zargo nearly put together a takedown in the final seconds. In sudden victory, Zargo began to run low on gas and Buttler promptly scored the winning takedown in overtime.
The Hoosiers quieted the crowd in UW Field House by beginning the dual with four wins, but the most dramatic triumph came in the fifth match of the afternoon. At 157 pounds, Indiana’s Bryce Lowery pinned Luke Mechler in quick and efficient fashion. Lowery quickly turned takedowns into near fall points, and near fall points into the fall that put an exclamation point on the first half of the meet.
After the intermission, No. 19 Tyler Lilliard ran up the score against No. 25 Cody Goebel, winning via technical fall by a score of 19-5. Lilliard’s immediate and constant offensive pressure left no room for Goebel to score himself, and Lilliard successfully set the tone for the second half of the meet.
The seventh straight victory for the Hoosiers came at 174 pounds, when No. 29 Derek Gilcher outlasted Luke Condon for an 8-3 regular decision win. The wrestlers spent a great deal of time on their feet in a neutral position, until Gilcher broke through with an escape, a pair of takedowns and a point for riding time.
At 184 pounds, Indiana’s No. 20 Sam Goin challenged Matthew Jens, who spent much of the season at 174 pounds. Jens’ status as an undersized competitor shone through against Goin, who dictated the tone for the entirety of the bout. Goin imposed his will for all seven minutes, totaling three takedowns to win by major decision, 11-2.
After eight Indiana victories, the Badgers ended the dual on a high note by finding success in the final two. Wisconsin’s No. 26 Wyatt Ingham orchestrated an outrageous comeback win in overtime against Indiana’s No. 18 Gabe Sollars. Sollars seemed to be well on his way to a win after a second period reversal and ride out, and a takedown at the outset of the third period. Despite the riding time point also going to Sollars, Ingham scored the tying takedown at the buzzer to force overtime. In sudden victory, Ingham scrambled his way to the winning takedown for a 10-7 upset.
In the heavyweight bout, Wisconsin’s No. 9 Braxton Amos canceled out Lowery’s pin from earlier in the dual with a pin of his own against Indiana’s Caleb Marzolino. Amos manhandled Marzolino, riding for over two minutes in the first period, before finally finding the fall in the second period.
Although the Badgers won the last two bouts, Indiana reminded the wrestling world that it is worthy of attention and respect in a loaded Big Ten conference by emphatically upsetting a ranked Wisconsin team. The resulting momentum will undoubtedly be impactful, as the Hoosiers return home to take on No. 5 Nebraska.
The Indiana Hoosiers host the Cornhuskers next Sunday at noon inside Wilkinson Hall. Wisconsin, on the other hand, remains at home to face No. 10 Michigan at 1 p.m. on the same day.
With one ranked upset win in the books and an opportunity for an even more alarming upset on the way, the Hoosiers are in prime position to put the top of the Big Ten on notice. Indiana seems to be wrestling at its best at the perfect time, as the Big Ten dual season nears its conclusion and postseason wrestling lurks around the corner.
