Husker wrestlers brace for Oklahoma State
BY CRAIG SESKER
NCAA Wrestling
LINCOLN – You can’t buy much for a buck these days.
A bottle of pop. Half a gallon of gas.
But Thursday night at the NU Coliseum, a $1 ticket will gain you admittance to No. 6 Nebraska’s biggest wrestling dual of the season.
Coach Mark Manning is hoping to pack the Coliseum when his Huskers (16-1-1) face two-time defending national champion and No. 1 Oklahoma State (17-0) in a Big 12 dual. The meet is set for 7 p.m.
The Cowboys – led by national champions Chris Pendleton (174), Jake Rosholt (197) and Steve Mocco (heavyweight) – are favored in 6 of 10 classes.
“This is going to be a really exciting meet, “Manning said. “I think a big crowd can make a huge difference. Our guys are going to feed off it. If we can pack the Coliseum with 5,000 fans, and get the place rocking, it could be monumental for us.”
Manning said he is hoping a boisterous crowd can boost his team through the tough bouts.
“We want to make it a brawl, “Manning said. “We want to make it a little bit of a street fight.”
Nebraska wrestlers are excited about facing the nation’s best in front of a large crowd.
“I think that home crowd will be a big factor, “NU’s Matt Murray said. “It can get really loud in there. It gets your emotions and your adrenaline going.”
Nebraska has dropped the last 10 duals with OSU. NU has not defeated the Cowboys in Lincoln since the 1921-22 season.
The Huskers have not defeated Oklahoma State since earning a 39-12 road win in 1993.
A pivotal match may come at 165 pounds when All-Americans Jacob Klein of Nebraska and Johny Hendricks of Oklahoma State meet. Klein is ranked eighth while Hendricks is ranked second. They have never met.
“That match could go a long way toward deciding this dual, “Manning said.
At 125, NU’s eighth-ranked Matt Keller faces talented true freshman Coleman Scott.
“Our team isn’t intimidated by anybody, “Keller said. “I think we are going to surprise a lot of people.”
At 197, Rosholt will battle No. 10 B.J. Padden of Nebraska.
The Cowboys feature two of the nation’s most dominant wrestlers in Pendleton and Mocco, guys expected to contend for spots on the 2008 Olympic team.
Pendleton, a senior, won the national title at 174 last year.
Mocco, a junior, won a national title two years ago at Iowa. He took an Olympic redshirt last year, finishing third at the Olympic Trials. He then transferred to Oklahoma State.
OSU’s Zack Esposito is ranked second at 149.
Nebraska’s Travis Pascoe (21-1) is ranked second at 184. Pascoe has won 20 straight.
“Any team can beat at any time, “Pascoe said. “Winning this dual would be huge for our confidence heading into this last part of the season.”
NU’s Pascoe, Keller, Matt Murray (141) and B.J. Wright (157) are favored.
“We need to go for the bonus points and go for the fall, “Manning said. “And we can’t give up any bonus points.”
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