No. 21 Indiana wrestling trekked to Lincoln, Nebraska, to take on No. 4 Nebraska on Sunday. The Cornhuskers have had an impressive season and handed the Hoosiers their worst defeat of the season. Indiana now sits at 7-5 overall with a conference record of 3-5.
The conclusion of the dual marks an end to Indiana’s conference season as it is currently tied for eighth place in the Big Ten standings.
Indiana boasts seven ranked wrestlers compared to Nebraska’s 10. Nebraska took nine of those ten bouts and six of the seven ranked matchups. The Cornhuskers rocketed to a 22-0 lead after five matches, only allowing 20 combined points from Hoosier grapplers. In the second half of the bouts, Nebraska didn’t look back as it delivered four more victories.
Two of Indiana’s nine losses were by decision at 125 lbs. and 133 lbs. The rest of the losses were by bonus points: three by technical fall, three by major decision and one by pin.
Indiana freshman Ryan Garvick gave No. 4 sophomore Antrell Taylor a scare early in the match after ripping a headlock to put Taylor on his back. Taylor escaped from Garvick’s headlock but returned unshaken and soundly defeated the young Hoosier.
Indiana won the heavyweight match where graduate student No. 18 Jacob Bullock defeated sophomore No. 21 Harley Andrews by a 6-2 decision. Bullock controlled the match from start to finish, maintaining the lead throughout all seven minutes. Although Andrews gained some momentum in the third period, Bullock sealed the victory with a decisive single-leg takedown near the edge of the mat. The win marks Bullock’s third ranked victory of the season.
Nebraska has had a stellar season surrendering just three losses, all of which were to top five teams. The Cornhuskers also secured a runner up finish at one of the most prestigious tournaments of the season –– the Cliff Kean Las Vegas Invitational falling –– just behind No. 2 Oklahoma State University.
The match was notable for Indiana assistant coach CJ Red, who is a Nebraska alumnus andwrestled for the Cornhuskers from 2016-22. During his time in Nebraska, Red earned three All-American honors and qualified for the NCAA Tournament five times.
This dual marked Indiana’s first matchup with Nebraska since 2021 and its first visit to Lincoln since 2017. Nebraska now leads the series 8-5, and Indiana is still seeking its first dual victory over the Cornhuskers since 1985.
The Hoosiers will next travel down to take on University of Tennessee at Chattanooga at 7 p.m. Friday at Maclellan Gym in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
