Feb. 8, 2015
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STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — Senior Bobby Telford defeated sixth-ranked Jimmy Lawson, 3-0, to clinch an 18-12 win at No. 5 Penn State and guarantee the top-ranked Hawkeyes at least a share of the Big Ten Conference regular season dual championship.
Iowa controlled the action early with four wins before intermission, but Penn State came out of the break and won three-of-four to trim the Hawkeyes’ lead to 15-12 before Telford stepped on the mat.
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“I was kind of shocked, upset, disappointed, whatever emotion you want to call it when I came out and saw the score,” said Telford. “This is an arena where you can hear the fans in the back. There was a lot of noise, and when you’re in an enemy arena like that that is probably not a good thing.”
It took seven minutes, but Telford eventually silenced the crowd of 15,967. He forced a stalling point in the second period, escaped in the third for a 2-0 lead, and added 1:55 of riding time to earn his eighth win of the season over a ranked opponent.
Iowa is now 8-0 against ranked opponents, 8-0 in the Big Ten, and 6-0 on the road.
“I’ve got a full-time job at the University of Iowa at 285 pounds, and that’s beating anyone that’s 285 in the country,” said Telford. “That’s my job and I do my job to the best of my ability.”
For the first half of the dual it didn’t look like Iowa would need a “must-win” from Telford. The Hawkeyes led 12-3 before the break, getting wins at 125, 141, 149 and 157 pounds.
Thomas Gilman’s two minutes of riding time was the difference in a 6-5 win at 125 pounds. Josh Dziewa scored three takedowns and added 1:37 of riding time in a 9-4 win at 141. Brandon Sorensen built a 5-3 lead in the first period before hanging on for a 6-4 win at 149, and Michael Kelly scored three reversals to win 7-4 at 157.
Penn State won the first two decisions after the break to trim Iowa’s lead to 12-9, but Iowa’s Sammy Brooks extended the Hawkeyes’ lead to 15-9 with a 7-1 win at 184. Brooks scored a takedown in the second period and recorded three nearfall with a rideout in the third.
Morgan McIntosh pulled Penn State within striking distance, 15-12, with a 7-1 win over Nathan Burak at 197 before Telford ended it by handing Lawson his first loss in 12 matches this season.
“I think we got beat on a lot of strategy,” said UI head coach Tom Brands. “We gave up points at the end of period and didn’t come off the bottom.”
Iowa won match points 46-39, but Penn State held a 9-8 advantage in takedowns, including four in the final period.
“We have 10 weight classes and we believe in our guys every match we prepare for, and we don’t prepare to keep it close,” said Brands. “That’s not part of our strategy.”
“We just have to keep moving forward,” added Telford. “This is the time of year where the stage is big, the stakes are high, so you have to come out ready to wrestle.”
Iowa clinched at least a share of the Big Ten Conference regular season crown for the seventh time in eight seasons. The Hawkeyes (13-0, 8-0) can win the title outright with a win against Michigan on Friday, Feb. 13, at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Iowa will honor seven seniors — Josh Dziewa, Mike Evans, Jeremy Fahler, Matt Gurule, Michael Kelly, Nick Moore, and Telford — following the dual.
NOTES: Iowa clinched at least a share of the Big Ten Conference regular season title for the seventh time in the last eight years…. Attendance was 15,967, the second largest dual crowd in NCAA dual history… Iowa improves to 8-0 against ranked opponents… Sorensen has won five straight against ranked opponents… Mike Evans lost for the first time this season (20-1)… Telford improved to 8-1 against ranked opponents.
#1 IOWA 18, #5 Penn State 12
125 – #5 Thomas Gilman (IA) dec. #8 Jordan Conaway (PSU), 6-5; 3-0
133 – #7 Jimmy Gulibon (PSU) dec. #3 Cory Clark (IA), 8-5; 3-3
141 – #6 Josh Dziewa (IA) dec. Kade Moss (PSU), 9-4; 6-3
149 – #2 Brandon Sorensen (IA) dec. #18 Zach Beitz (PSU), 6-4; 9-3
157 – #14 Michael Kelly (IA) dec. Luke Frey (PSU), 7-4; 12-3
165 – Garett Hammond (PSU) dec. #7 Nick Moore (IA), 4-2; 12-6
174 – #3 Matt Brown (PSU) dec. Mike Evans (IA), 2-0; 12-9
184 – #8 Sammy Brooks (IA) dec. #17 Matt McCutcheon (PSU), 7-1; 15-9
197 – #4 Morgan McIntosh (PSU) dec. #Nathan Burak (IA), 7-1; 15-12
285 – #2 Bobby Telford (IA) dec. #6 Jimmy Lawson (PSU), 3-0; 18-12
