An impending winter storm couldn't keep an animated crowd away from Rec Hall on Sunday afternoon as Penn State took on Rutgers in its third Big Ten dual meet of the year.
The top-ranked Nittany Lions went 5-0 after the intermission to come away with a come from behind, 27-11 victory to remain unbeaten.
Some (old) new faces and some absences made for a compelling meet. Here are five of our top takeaways from the event.
1. Brady Berge is back, and at a new weight class to boot
When former Penn State wrestler turned South Dakota State assistant coach Brady Berge announced he would be returning to the Nittany Lions for his final season, it came with a number of questions.
How soon could he wrestle? What type of shape would he be in? What weight class would he be at? Can he actually contribute in the postseason?
Some of those questions were answered on Sunday as Berge made his return to Rec Hall and his season debut for the Nittany Lions. Rumors have swirled for days after Cael Sanderson said that Berge could go either at 157 pounds or 165 for the Nittany Lions. Those only got louder when Berge was announced along with Creighton Edsell as a possible starter at 165 on Sunday. Following the intermission, it was Berge who got the call.
The senior looked solid, if a bit rusty, in a 5-1 win over Rutgers' Andrew Clark. Berge picked up a pair of takedowns and an escape in the victory and generally got to legs with ease, though he struggled to finish early in the match. With Sanderson's announcement that Berge would be staying 165 for the rest of the year, we'll now look to see if he has supplanted Creighton Edsell as the team's starter and if that leads to any additional points in the postseason for the Nittany Lions.
2. Struggles continue at 157
When Berge returned, most assumed that he'd be doing so at the 157-pound weight class. After all, he reached the NCAA quarterfinals at the weight just last year and Penn State has struggled to fill the spot in the 2021-22 season. With that proving not to be the case, it appears the weight is still up for grabs with Tony Negron being the front runner.
Unfortunately, Negron struggled on Sunday, jumping out to a 4-1 lead before gassing late and losing to the Scarlet Knights' Robert Kanniard, 6-4 in sudden victory. The loss drops Negron to 1-5 on the year and along with Joe Lee and Terrell Barraclough, Penn State's starting options at 157 are just 9-12 on the year. It appears as the if the weight class will be a hole for the Nittany Lions in the postseason.
3. Hildebrandt brings guts, guile to the lineup
Drew Hildebrandt has been around the block a time or two in NCAA wrestling. A sixth-year senior, the Central Michigan transfer is one match away from 150 for his college career. Hildebrandt used every bit of that experience to pull off a 4-2 win over Rutgers' Dylan Shawver.
Close wins have been a staple of Hildebrandt's college career. The two-time All-American was a combined 35-5 over the past two seasons at CMU, though his bonus rate was just over 40% in that time span. While his proclivity for close, often low-scoring matches may give some fans a heart attack, it should also give them confidence that he knows how to get the job done under pressure, which will be necessary in the postseason.
4. The Nittany Lions' murder's row is rounding into form
There weren't many doubts about the strength of the back end of Penn State's lineup. After all, they boast two returning national champions, a former national finalist, and one of the nation's top young heavyweights. But that group seems to be hitting another gear of late.
Carter Starocci seemed to find another gear in a 19-2 mauling of Rutgers' Connor O'Neill in under two periods. Aaron Brooks methodically dismantled returning All-American John Poznanski for a 10-2 major decision victory. Max Dean was relentless on offense in a 9-6 win over previously undefeated Greg Bulsak, and Greg Kerkvliet cradled up Alex Esposito in under two minutes. In just four matches, that group turned an 11-9 deficit into a 27-11 victory. With perhaps the most difficult dual on the calendar set for Friday night at Michigan, the Nittany Lions are heating up at a good time.
5. Will Lee return for highly-anticipated Michigan dual?
Defending national champion Nick Lee missed Sunday's match against Rutgers, and in turn a showdown with Rutgers' Sebastian Rivera, due to COVID protocols. It wasn't the first time Lee has dealt with this issue and with the Nittany Lions set for Ann Arbor on Friday, it's one to keep an eye on.
On paper, the dual with the Wolverines could well be dead heat and not having Lee in the lineup against Michigan's Stevan Micic would be a huge loss for Penn State. Lee's absences haven't been extremely notable or detrimental to the lineup at this point, but could prove big down the line should they continue to pop up.
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