PSU - Nebraska '26 Match Thread

Corby2

All-Conference
Jul 14, 2025
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I was there. I also know a lil bit inside with the team. Stiles absolutely was spent as well, he has the biggest cut on the team besides Bouzakis, had to cut 7 pounds this week and wasn’t a great one this time around. Everything with the team was weird this week with all their flights back in being delayed because of the weather etc.. same for a lot of teams I’m sure. I saw Stiles after and he was being checked for concussion symptoms but he seemed ok. Was actually in pretty good spirits. It amazes me at times when I see these high level Division 1 athletes who are cordial and even graciously humble after defeat. I want to fight my wife if I lose to her in Monopoly.
Most D1 guys are 7-10 over every week. Cannon has a big cut
 
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Niklex316

Redshirt
Apr 6, 2022
7
7
3
Most D1 guys are 7-10 over every week. They got back I was told he had to shed 7 and it was just Cannon has a big cut
I meant this week in the limited days he had back because of the plane delays they had returning back because of the weather.

Not a full week , just whenever they landed I heard he had to cut 7 in a much shorter timeframe then normal.

I don’t know the exact details and I know that doesn’t make a lot of sense the way I’m trying to explain it but I was told by someone I know who has a family member that is very close to Jaggers.

So sorry for the vagueness and not the exact details… I’m basically regurgitating my ignorance personally on the subject… but it came across as an important thing to mention when I heard it first at least lol…

So as the saying goes… take it for what it’s worth.
 
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Feb 11, 2018
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I'm thinking MM might bump up. Not a lot of people thought Nickal would go up his Senior year . We'll see. Somewhere they will need to get creative to keep the rostered talent.
Olympic year in 2028, so I would think he is going to go 74kg, which is an Olympic weight. That's 163ish lbs. Seems like he might not want to go 174 for next year just to come.back down. He doesn't look big for a 165lber to me.
 
Oct 12, 2021
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I meant this week in the limited days he had back because of the plane delays they had returning back because of the weather.

Not a full week , just whenever they landed I heard he had to cut 7 in a much shorter timeframe then normal.

I don’t know the exact details and I know that doesn’t make a lot of sense the way I’m trying to explain it but I was told by someone I know who has a family member that is very close to Jaggers.

So sorry for the vagueness and not the exact details… I’m basically regurgitating my ignorance personally on the subject… but it came across as an important thing to mention when I heard it first at least lol…

So as the saying goes… take it for what it’s worth.
I know what you mean. Concerning one of our top guys a couple of years ago, after having a rough outing, I ‘got a brother who has a friend who spoke to his mom and girlfriend and they said that he had injured his back’. True story.
 

Random4598375

All-Conference
Jan 10, 2020
339
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I was there. I also know a lil bit inside with the team. Stiles absolutely was spent as well, he has the biggest cut on the team besides Bouzakis, had to cut 7 pounds this week and wasn’t a great one this time around. Everything with the team was weird this week with all their flights back in being delayed because of the weather etc.. same for a lot of teams I’m sure. I saw Stiles after and he was being checked for concussion symptoms but he seemed ok. Was actually in pretty good spirits. It amazes me at times when I see these high level Division 1 athletes who are cordial and even graciously humble after defeat. I want to fight my wife if I lose to her in Monopoly.
Interesting. Stiles was obviously running on fumes well before he pointed at his head and tried to get a concussion TO even though he landed on his shoulder and his head barely touched the mat at all. I wonder if he was so gassed from the cut that he was actually feeling lightheaded and dizzy?
 

eddy line

Freshman
Mar 20, 2018
29
94
13
If you didn't see pretty much everybody being a little off and or looking a little uncharacteristically tired - well OK. We watched the same match with two separate appreciations of what was manifesting before our eyes.
Everybody? LL? MM? Rocco?

I give credit to Nebraska rather than make excuses.
Blaze was absolutely off: No way he is not at minimum a major decision better than Van Dee. He did not force the action enough. Davis absolutely was off: Regardless of what you do, you cannot gas out. Then if you gas, don't get yourself pinned. Shayne was off: again he got taken down in the first and this time it cost him a major decision. If it continues it's going to eventually cost him a match. PJ was definitely off. Damn right he is better than Taylor and he took a total of one committed shot all night. Levi was off: He had a brain fart and allowed a cheap takedown that cost him a comfortable win and needed that knee tap at the end. Josh was definitely off: He techs that guy 8 out of ten times and he also gassed.

So yeah...we were off and as a matter of fact Cael himself said so in the post match presser
Blaze was patient. He didn’t gas. Don’t think he was off. Van Dee didn’t want to engage.

SVN’s bout was common for him. Sloppy first period before wearing his opponent down.

Levi made a mental mistake, with his push of Minto. But I don’t think Levi was “off”, at least not physically. Minto is good.

Davis came out flying. No way he could sustain that pace. But he’s gassed out a few times this season, so he wasn’t really off. He’s still getting his sea legs & working on his fitness

As for PJ’s match, I don’t think you give Taylor enough credit. I don’t like the way he wrestles, but he’s a tough out.

Overall, I choose to give Nebraska credit for wrestling a scrappy (though in several cases boring to watch) dual rather than using an “off” night as an excuse for the closeness of several bouts. YMMV.
 
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District 4

Senior
Feb 16, 2018
362
796
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A guy named Yanni begs to differ. Uncalled for speculation.

PJ is a true freshman, there are going to be a few bumps in the road to his national title.

I would not be the least but surprised to hear someday that PJ beat Kasak in a wrestleoff.

At the very least they are very close or Cael, wouldn't have gone with PJ. Kasak was the best 157 last year IMO, and inexplicably was gassed and hit a wall against Blaze. The will both be twin champs soon enough, but saying that one match against an absolute stud implies anything much is just ballyhoo!


Kasak beat taylor twice including a pin last year and he beat cannon at least once. I dont think the matter that they are close has anything to do with cael going with pj this year I'm guessing like everyone else that cael is juggling spots
 

Biffkin

Senior
Jun 29, 2004
291
449
63
Nebraska (5 TDs) didn’t wrestle, they hand fought and backed up all night. Same as Iowa (2 TDs) and it will be the same with O$U. PSU was as aggressive as ever. They come to engage, wrestle and win. The other team comes out to hang on. LL, MB, SVN, PJD, MM, LH, RW, and JB can all easily be wrestling on Saturday night at nationals!

The majority of the match was wrestled in the center of the mat. Also, Taylor controlled PJ with his underhook. PJ was going backwards quite often to clear that hook. Taylor did not attack at all but he wasn’t backing up and not engaging all match. He wrestled smart. PJ unfortunately didn’t. If PJ had pressed the action at all he would’ve won in regulation with a second stall call but he never did enough to warrant that call

Everybody? LL? MM? Rocco?

I give credit to Nebraska rather than make excuses.

Blaze was patient. He didn’t gas. Don’t think he was off. Van Dee didn’t want to engage.

SVN’s bout was common for him. Sloppy first period before wearing his opponent down.

Levi made a mental mistake, with his push of Minto. But I don’t think Levi was “off”, at least not physically. Minto is good.

Davis came out flying. No way he could sustain that pace. But he’s gassed out a few times this season, so he wasn’t really off. He’s still getting his sea legs & working on his fitness

As for PJ’s match, I don’t think you give Taylor enough credit. I don’t like the way he wrestles, but he’s a tough out.

Overall, I choose to give Nebraska credit for wrestling a scrappy dual rather than using an “off” night as an excuse for the closeness of several bouts. YMMV.
Let's give our guys some credit, they won the match handily. All of our No 1's won. Two of the three loses were tight matches that didn't go our way. Nice day at the office, with some things to clean up,
 

District 4

Senior
Feb 16, 2018
362
796
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Kasak beat taylor twice including a pin last year and he beat cannon at least once. I dont think the matter that they are close has anything to do with cael going with pj this year I'm guessing like everyone else that cael is juggling spots
And I'm saying kasak is the best 157 pounder in the country right now not that pj wont surpass him i would take kasak right now against anyone in the country
 

OldMatCoach

Freshman
Jan 27, 2026
12
63
13
IMG_1974.jpeg

Saw this on another board .... I say Ref reacted slowly but AI says "No Takedown"


Short answer: probably no — not yet

Under NCAA folkstyle rules, a takedown is awarded only when the offensive wrestler gains control while bringing the opponent to the mat.
What the rules require
To score a takedown, the wrestler in blue must
  1. Bring the opponent to the mat, and
  2. Establish control — meaning the opponent’s hips are controlled and the defensive wrestler cannot immediately escape or continue wrestling f
What we see in the image
From this position:
  • The red wrestler still has:
    • One hand posted on the mat
    • Hips not fully controlled
    • Ability to continue moving or potentially face u
  • The blue wrestler has good upper-body contact and is driving, but:
    • Does not clearly control both hips
    • Has not yet broken red down to a controlled position (such as both knees/hips controlled with red unable to move freel
NCAA interpretation
Officials are taught:

“No takedown until control is clearly establish
This looks like a dangerous-but-not-yet-controlled position — often described as “working toward a takedown” rather than completing one
Bottom line
  • ✅ Near takedown
  • ❌ No takedown yet
  • 🟡 The moment blue collapses the hips or forces red flat or clearly behind with control, then the takedown would be awarded.
 

Corby2

All-Conference
Jul 14, 2025
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I meant this week in the limited days he had back because of the plane delays they had returning back because of the weather.

Not a full week , just whenever they landed I heard he had to cut 7 in a much shorter timeframe then normal.

I don’t know the exact details and I know that doesn’t make a lot of sense the way I’m trying to explain it but I was told by someone I know who has a family member that is very close to Jaggers.

So sorry for the vagueness and not the exact details… I’m basically regurgitating my ignorance personally on the subject… but it came across as an important thing to mention when I heard it first at least lol…

So as the saying goes… take it for what it’s worth.
Sounds like you are trying to say he was 7 over when they arrived and had to cut it all at once to make weight due to travel delays. That makes sense
 

Corby2

All-Conference
Jul 14, 2025
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View attachment 1172689

Saw this on another board .... I say Ref reacted slowly but AI says "No Takedown"


Short answer: probably no — not yet

Under NCAA folkstyle rules, a takedown is awarded only when the offensive wrestler gains control while bringing the opponent to the mat.
What the rules require
To score a takedown, the wrestler in blue must
  1. Bring the opponent to the mat, and
  2. Establish control — meaning the opponent’s hips are controlled and the defensive wrestler cannot immediately escape or continue wrestling f
What we see in the image
From this position:
  • The red wrestler still has:
    • One hand posted on the mat
    • Hips not fully controlled
    • Ability to continue moving or potentially face u
  • The blue wrestler has good upper-body contact and is driving, but:
    • Does not clearly control both hips
    • Has not yet broken red down to a controlled position (such as both knees/hips controlled with red unable to move freel
NCAA interpretation
Officials are taught:

“No takedown until control is clearly establish
This looks like a dangerous-but-not-yet-controlled position — often described as “working toward a takedown” rather than completing one
Bottom line
  • ✅ Near takedown
  • ❌ No takedown yet
  • 🟡 The moment blue collapses the hips or forces red flat or clearly behind with control, then the takedown would be awarded.
I thought it was close but probably not a takedown the way they're currently calling them.
 

Anon1683312534

Sophomore
May 5, 2023
110
104
43
As much as I do like folkstyle, the way passivity is called in neutral in freestyle produces a much better product. Taylor and Duke's match is a perfect example. PJ wrestled that match on his feet like he does his freestyle matches; forward pressure, control the center, get to his two-on-one tie, etc. Those tactics are rewarded in freestyle, but not in today's college matches. Taylor worked within how referees are enforcing stalling. Taylor repeatedly smacking the side of PJ's head to sidestep PJ's advances is something I believe the referees should prioritize as stalling. It is just another version of avoiding wrestling action.

The folkstyle product is much better when referees are proactive in their stalling calls. This has been an issue since at least after Cael's college career. Back then referees were quick to call stalling. When was the last time you saw someone stalled out of a match? The current application of stalling is really pushing me more toward freestyle. So many college matches these days are very frustrating to watch, and that is a shame because the proliferation of low scoring, defensive matches is a self-inflicted wound.
Just a question, how often does the one called for passivity score when on the clock? I bet it's under ten percent. It really doesn't matter to most wrestlers the way I see it. I could be wrong but.....
 
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eddy line

Freshman
Mar 20, 2018
29
94
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Kasak beat taylor twice including a pin last year and he beat cannon at least once. I dont think the matter that they are close has anything to do with cael going with pj this year I'm guessing like everyone else that cael is juggling spots
I think Cael may also be redshirting Kasak to make sure he’s fully recovered from last season’s head injuries/concussions.
 

Scam likely

Junior
Nov 3, 2022
170
361
63
View attachment 1172689

Saw this on another board .... I say Ref reacted slowly but AI says "No Takedown"


Short answer: probably no — not yet

Under NCAA folkstyle rules, a takedown is awarded only when the offensive wrestler gains control while bringing the opponent to the mat.
What the rules require
To score a takedown, the wrestler in blue must
  1. Bring the opponent to the mat, and
  2. Establish control — meaning the opponent’s hips are controlled and the defensive wrestler cannot immediately escape or continue wrestling f
What we see in the image
From this position:
  • The red wrestler still has:
    • One hand posted on the mat
    • Hips not fully controlled
    • Ability to continue moving or potentially face u
  • The blue wrestler has good upper-body contact and is driving, but:
    • Does not clearly control both hips
    • Has not yet broken red down to a controlled position (such as both knees/hips controlled with red unable to move freel
NCAA interpretation
Officials are taught:

“No takedown until control is clearly establish
This looks like a dangerous-but-not-yet-controlled position — often described as “working toward a takedown” rather than completing one
Bottom line
  • ✅ Near takedown
  • ❌ No takedown yet
  • 🟡 The moment blue collapses the hips or forces red flat or clearly behind with control, then the takedown would be awarded.
Now how about the near fall in ride outs?
 
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HikeNatParks

Senior
May 12, 2023
91
455
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Overall, I choose to give Nebraska credit for wrestling a scrappy (though in several cases boring to watch) dual rather than using an “off” night as an excuse for the closeness of several bouts. YMMV.
Agreed. And for all the angst, we were a lost 3rd period lead, a few seconds of rideout time, and a missed ankle grab away from shutting out a damn formidable team with two former national champs and a national runnerup. Off? Nah. Shocking as it may seem, plenty of D1 wrestling opponents are capable of limiting our guys to a close win or tight loss. To many, beating a Lion is their Vision Quest.
 

WV lion

All-Conference
Oct 17, 2021
1,095
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Agreed. And for all the angst, we were a lost 3rd period lead, a few seconds of rideout time, and a missed ankle grab away from shutting out a damn formidable team with two former national champs and a national runnerup. Off? Nah. Shocking as it may seem, plenty of D1 wrestling opponents are capable of limiting our guys to a close win or tight loss. To many, beating a Lion is their Vision Quest.
Other than taylor, who was there second national champ?
 

El_Jefe

All-American
Oct 11, 2021
2,356
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I think Cael may also be redshirting Kasak to make sure he’s fully recovered from last season’s head injuries/concussions.
Believing this means also believing Cael and Monthley disregarded Kasak's head injuries when allowing him to compete at B10s and NCAAs.

And again when allowing him to train for and compete at Bill Farrell in November.
 
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randyl

Sophomore
May 29, 2001
67
105
33
I was actually quite impressed with Nebraska's Araujo.
He really made Mesenbrink work for his tds.

Of course Mesenbrink loves his work.