Penn State Wrestling Tops Ohio State, But Not Without a Struggle

The top-ranked Nittany Lions get a workout from Ohio State but win their 52nd consecutive match.

The Penn State wrestling team labored through an uneven night against spirited Ohio State on Friday, winning 28-9 despite hearing some creaks in the lineup. The top-ranked Nittany Lions won eight of 10 bouts, and its stars shined of course, but some pressing moments emerged.

Penn State (8-0) benefited from two early officiating calls, and reviews, and lost a bout it led 9-4 in the third period. Some young Ohio State wrestlers delivered strong performances, and the Nittany Lions didn't have their edge through the lineup. Still, Penn State managed to own the Rec Hall scoreboard and hold a 23-3 edge in total takedowns.

"Ohio State did a really good job," Penn State coach Cael Sanderson told reporters in State College after the match. "It’s easy to come away from the match and think we didn’t wrestle well, but when you wrestle a really good opponent sometimes that happens. So we need to make some adjustments and wrestle with a little bit more enthusiasm and we’ll be alright."

Penn State's win over Ohio State marked its 52nd consecutive victory and 199th for Sanderson as the Nittany Lions' head coach. Here's how the night unfolded.

The marquee bout

Penn State's Beau Bartlett and Ohio State's Jesse Mendez began what could be a series of bouts to determine Big Ten and NCAA titles. So of course, Bartlett (second nationally) and Mendez (third) traded escapes and defense through three periods to force overtime.

In sudden victory, Bartlett defended a Mendez shot, and the official called neutral danger, which Ohio State coach Tom Ryan challenged. But continuing a rough night of officiating for Ohio State, the call stood, and Bartlett won 4-1 to improve to 14-0 with his third sudden-victory of the season. And Penn State, which could have trailed 9-0 after three bouts, instead led 6-3.

Penn State's uneven start

Ohio State threw elbows early, wrestling two strong opening bouts but winning just one. The Buckeyes probably should have led 6-0, however. In the opener at 125 pounds, Ohio State's Vinny Kilkeary appeared to close the third period with a throw for the winning takedown against third-ranked Braeden Davis. But the referee called no takedown on the mat, citing no control, and a review upheld the call. Thus, Davis (14-0) remained unbeaten with a fortunate call, and Ryan was livid. Kilkeary, a true freshman like Davis, entered the match with a 12-4 record but had wrestled just one dual match, against Lock Haven, this season. He tested Davis, though, whose second-period takedown provided decisive. Here's a look at the contested takedown call.

Starting off strong with a W from Davis at 125 😱#PSUwr pic.twitter.com/vfXb78dI8z

— Penn State WRESTLING (@pennstateWREST) February 2, 2024

The Buckeyes' Nic Bouzakis rode the energy of 125 into a strong 13-7 decision over fifth-ranked Aaron Nagao at 133. Bouzakis hit a pair of first-period takedowns to take a 9-1 lead after the first period. Nagao (8-3) rallied, though, but couldn't hit a late takedown to give himself a chance. Bouzakis held on, earning an extra point for a violation, to secure his fifth ranked win of the season. And Nagao lost another close call. Two weeks ago at Michigan, Nagao was pinned in sudden victory by Dylan Ragusin.

Welcome back, Tyler Kasak

Kasak, the impressive Penn State freshman, detoured off the main schedule last week to wrestle a tournament, at which he defeated teammate David Evans in what amounted to a wrestle-off at 149. Back in the dual lineup, Kasak (ranked No. 12) simply beat another top-15 wrestler, scoring a 7-2 decision over No. 9 Dylan D'Emilio. Kasak led 3-1 in the third when he demonstrated strength and savvy to defend D'Emilio for a takedown. Kasak (11-1) has three wins over top-15 opponents and could break into the top 10 this week.

Some smart defense from Kasak to secure the takedown & win 🤝#PSUwr pic.twitter.com/DLiy0xQKRR

— Penn State WRESTLING (@pennstateWREST) February 3, 2024

A surprising upset

Fifth-ranked Bernie Truax was cruising at 184, leading Ohio State freshman Ryder Rogotzke 9-4 in the third period. But Truax got a little careless against the wrong wrestler. Rogotzke stunned Truax with a slick turn, getting the fall at 5:59. 

Perhaps Truax should have seen it coming, though. Rogotzke (12-3) has 10 pins this season, which makes him a constant threat. That's good game film for Truax (8-2) as the postseason approaches.  

Penn State absorbs a challenge

Score aside, Ohio State gave Penn State its toughest night of the season. Redshirt freshman Mitchell Mesenbrink (165) improved to 15-0 with a sturdy 10-4 decision, but Carter Starocci (174) appeared to strain for seven minutes. Though his 61-bout streak wasn't challenged, Starocci labored frustratingly to get to his offense against 11th-ranked Rocco Welsh. The freshman allowed Starocci just one takedown, steering the three-time NCAA champ from his offense.

Levi Haines (157), Aaron Brooks (197) and Greg Kerkvliet (285) were dominant. All three delivered bonus points, and Brooks scored his sixth technical fall of the season.

Up next

Penn State heads to Iowa for what initially was the showdown of the college season. However, Michigan's victory over Iowa on Friday might have dulled the potential for No. 1 vs. No 2. Still, the Lions and Hawkeyes often wrestle epics in Iowa City. The match begins at 9 p.m. ET on Big Ten Network.

Penn State 28, Ohio State 9

125: No. 3 Braeden Davis (Penn State) dec. Vincent Kilkeary 4-3

133: No. 13 Nic Bouzakis (Ohio State) dec. No. 5 Aaron Nagao 13-7

141: No. 2 Beau Bartlett (Penn State) dec. Jesse Mendez 4-1 SV

149: No. 12 Tyler Kasak (Penn State) dec. No. 9 Dylan D'Emilio 7-2

157: No. 1 Levi Haines (Penn State) dec. Isaac Wilcox 11-3

165: No. 7 Mitchell Mesenbrink (Penn State) dec. No. 20 Bryce Hepner 10-4

174: No. 1 Carter Starocci (Penn State) dec. No. 11 Rocco Welsh 4-2

184: Ryder Rogotzke (Ohio State) pin No. 5 Bernie Truax 3:59

197: No. 1 Aaron Brooks (Penn State) tech. fall Luke Geog 22-6

285: No. 1 Greg Kerkvliet (Penn State) dec. Nick Feldman 12-0

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AllPennState is the place for Penn State news, opinion and perspective on the SI.com network. Publisher Mark Wogenrich has covered Penn State for more than 20 years, tracking three coaching staffs, three Big Ten titles and a catalog of great stories. Follow him on Twitter @MarkWogenrich. And consider subscribing (button's on the home page) for more great content across the SI.com network.