Drake almost had the clinching takedown. Ryder Block was in on Van Ness multiple times. Kueter didn't finish, but got in on the legs. All of them had chances, just didn't finish.
Ryder Block wrestled well IMO. The mat clinching sequence he was in good shape, until he wasn't.
And that's largely because Iowa tends to not chain wrestle and/or finish .........quickly. PSU does and that's the biggest difference how they perform offensively, on the norm and last night in particular IMO.
Yes, PSU up and down the lineup has better recruits than anybody they will face, and Iowa had multiple chances to win competitive matches last night but failed to capitalize when it really mattered most. Which shouldn't shock anybody that watches them in recent years. Offensively this team collectively is a shell of it's former self. Caliendo and Patrick Kennedy "bring it" pretty often, the rest of the lineup is meh. On their feet or on the mat.
The lack of 1st period takedowns not just in this dual, but any dual where we wrestle a team with a pulse is STUNNING.
I would go as far to say IF Dan Gable were Coaching at Iowa this year, this lopsided dual would have been tight to the end. His guys tended to finish when it mattered most (and yes, he had better talent across the board, but this Iowa Team isn't full of puds, there are some pretty accomplished guys we're sending out there)
I also can't help but think how Tom and Terry Brands feel inside as they watch their guys struggle to record 1 F'ing takedown. These guys were maulers, and everything they did was 100% aggression, no matter who they faced. But at the end of the day, this is their product, and it's stale as hell.
I don't consider myself one of those entitled fans (certainly not a casual) that thinks Iowa should win Nationals every year in today's landscape especially (Thank You Bob Nicolls!), but I do think they should have a puncher's chance every year and frankly they aren't close to that way too often. (aside from 2021 and COVID robbed of us another, seems like a LONG time ago - and the years before that.......not so great either)
As much as I loved the Brands and Jimmy Zalesky as Iowa Wrestlers, I was fully on board when Zalesky was let go, because the product was stale. It wasn't acceptable then and it's not acceptable now.
I'm also not one to worry about incoming recruits and whether they'll come without the Brands. Iowa Wrestling will be a destination choice for a long time yet IMO, and whoever the next guy is will get his share of studs, I have little doubt about that. It's been built, they will come.
Tom Brands has made a lot of money, and we all know he bleeds black and gold. Been a great wrestler and a pretty damn good Coach overall. With that said, I don't think this should come down to Beth Goetz. As much as it saddens me, I think he should step down for the good of Iowa Wrestling. Sorry, I just do.
Whomever that next guy(s) is, between him and Taylor at Okie State, maybe they can put a chink in the PSU armor. Let's find out.
)