ALTOONA, Pa. -- Penn State likes to brand its football program as Unrivaled, which is kind of comical since it hasn't won a national championship in 36 years.
There is, however, one Nittany Lion program that truly deserves the Unrivaled label: Cael Sanderson's wrestling dynasty, which has won nine of the past 11 national titles and appears to be on its way to No. 10 this year.
We'll start our weekend primer with Friday night's fantastic performance by Sanderson's team.
• What! A! Night!
The Penn State wrestling program basked in all its glory, on and off the mat, during an exhilarating evening at the Bryce Jordan Center. The No. 1 Lions roared back in the final four bouts to run away from No. 2 Iowa, 23-14, before a record-tying crowd of 15,998 fans at the BJC.
Penn State fell behind early, as expected, against the Hawkeyes, who have a fantastic lineup and an advantage over the Lions at the lower weights.
But once the big boys took over at the heavier weights, wow, it was lights out for visiting Iowa.
The Lions trailed after six matches, 14-9, and for just about any program in the country, that would have been pretty much game over against the Hawkeyes. But Penn State rolled out three straight defending national champions in Carter Starocci (174), Aaron Brooks (184) and Max Dean (197), and each won his match to put the Lions ahead, 20-14, heading into the final bout.
All heavyweight Greg Kerkvliet needed to do was avoided getting pinned by Iowa's Tony Cassioppi to secure a win for Penn State, and Kerkvliet did even better by beating his Hawkeye opponent for the first time.
The Jordan Center was rocking all night, and welcomed lots of star power. James Franklin was on hand and intently watched everything play out sitting just a few feet to Sanderson's right. The football team was recognized at intermission for its 11-2 season and Rose Bowl victory.
Former Lion star Micah Parsons, now with the Dallas Cowboys, was on hand to watch the highly anticipated meet. The former Penn State star linebacker who wore No. 11 sat next to current standout linebacker and perhaps the next future star of Linebacker U, Abdul Carter, who now wears No. 11.
Three-time national champion and 2019 Hodge Trophy winner Bo Nickal also was at the BJC to cheer on the Lions.
The crowd of 15,998 tied the 2018 figure against Iowa at the BJC for the highest attendance in NCAA wrestling history for an indoor dual. Penn State holds nine of the top 10 spots for indoor crowds in NCAA history.
One key early bout was at 157, where freshman Levi Haines earned three huge points with a 3-2 win over Cobe Siebrecht. Penn State trailed the match 11-6 at that point and needed a win. There was a question of whether Haines would wrestle because it meant burning his redshirt, but Sanderson made the only decision he could make by sending his best wrestler at that weight out to compete and bring Penn State within 11-9.
Alex Facundo then lost a very tough match in a tiebreaker to Patrick Kennedy at 165, as Iowa pulled out to the 14-9 lead.
There was no reason to panic, though, given the phenomenal wrestlers the Lions had coming up in Starocci, Brooks and Dean. Starocci used riding time for a 2-1 win, Brooks earned five points with a dominant 22-7 tech fall. Dean then earned a tough 2-0 win for a 20-14 Penn State lead heading into the final bout.
For those who want a blow-by-blow look at each match, following is the box score and a tremendous breakdown of every bout from the good folks at GoPSUSports.
125: #1 Spencer Lee IOWA tech fall Marco Vespa PSU, 18-2 (TF; 2:14) - 0-5
133: #1 Roman Bravo-Young PSU pinned #17 Brody Teske IOWA, WBF (6:49) - 6-5
141: #2 Real Woods IOWA dec. #4 Beau Bartlett PSU, 4-1 - 6-8
149: #7 Max Murin dec. #13 Shayne Van Ness PSU, 4-1 - 6-11
157: #9 Levi Haines PSU dec. #15 Cobe Siebrecht IOWA, 3-2 - 9-11
165: #13 Patrick Kennedy IOWA dec. #5 Alex Facundo PSU, 2-1 (tb) - 9-14
174: #1 Carter Starocci PSU dec. #16 Nelson Brands IOWA, 2-1 - 12-14
184: #1 Aaron Brooks PSU tech fall Drake Rhodes IOWA, 22-7 (TF; 5:42) - 17-14
197: #4 Max Dean PSU dec. #7 Jacob Warner IOWA, 2-0 - 20-14
285: #2 Greg Kerkvliet PSU dec. #3 Tony Cassioppi IOWA, 4-1 - 23-14
125: Marco Vespa took on No. 1 Spencer Lee at 125. Vespa came out and locked Lee up in a cradle right off the whistle. He was unable to get any back points but took a quick 2-0 lead. Lee then reversed the Lion sophomore to tie the bout 2-2 and then turned Vespa for four back points. Lee added a second four point turn and led 10-2 at the 1:20 mark. Lee picked up a third four point turn and then a third to pots an 18-2 tech fall at the 2:14 mark.
133: No. 1 Roman Bravo-Young met No. 17 Brody Teske at 133. The duo battled through a scoreless first minute with Bravo-Young taking a flurry of low shots at the 1:30 mark that forced Teske to skip away in the center of the mat. Bravo-Young forced Teske into a first stall warning at :45 and finished off a low single to a takedown to lead 2-0 with :36 on the clock. Bravo-Young finished the period on top and led 2-0 after one. Teske chose down to start the second period and built his riding time up over 1:00 with a strong ride. He cut Teske loose to a 2-1 score at the 1:16 mark and went back to work on offense. Bravo-Young blew through a fast high double as time ran out in the second period to take a 4-1 lead into the third with 1:26 in riding time. Bravo-Young chose neutral to start the third period and continued to chase Teske around the center of the mat. He used a low single for a third takedown and cut to lead 6-2. With a riding time edge in hand, Bravo-Young picked up a riding time point to lead 7-2 with :45 left. With :30 on the clock, Bravo-Young moved in for another takedown and quickly took Teske to the mat with a low shot, he flowed through the move and locked the Hawkeye in a cradle and pinned him with just :11 left in the match. Bravo-Young's pin came at the 6:49 mark.
141: Beau Bartlett, ranked No. 4 at 141, met No. 2 Real Woods. Bartlett and Woods came out trying to throw each other with Bartlett nearly locking Woods' head and shoulders to the mat on the outside circle. Woods was able to get out of trouble and a reset ensued with 2:20 left. Woods got in on a low single with 2:05 on the clock and took a 2-0 lead after getting the takedown at 1:41. Bartlett was unable to work his way out of the Hawkeye's control and trailed by two after one. Bartlett chose down to start the second period and quickly scrambled his way to an escape and a 2-1 score. The duo battled evenly in neutral for the next minute-plus with no one scoring. Leading by one with 1:45 in riding time, Woods chose down to start the third period and Bartlett cut him loose to a 3-1 score. The Lion took a low shot that Woods stepped away from and the clock moved to 1:15. He took another how shot that Woods backed away from with 1:00 left. Bartlett pressured the Hawkeye backwards as time wound down but Woods was able to defend the efforts as the clock hit 0:00. Woods posted the 4-1 win with 1:35 in riding time.
149: No. 13 Shayne Van Ness faced off against No. 7 Max Murin at 149. Van Ness set the offensive tempo over the first two minutes, forcing Murin into defense as he looked for an offensive opening. He nearly connected on a slide-by with :45 left but Murin backed out of control and kept the bout tied at 0-0. Murin then forced a scramble in the final seconds that Van Ness was able to defend and the match moved to the second period knotted 0-0. Van Ness chose down to start the second period. The Lion tried to scramble his way to an escape in the first minute but the Hawkeye maintained control as the clock dipped below 1:00. Van Ness slipped away for the escape and a 1-0 lead at the :30 mark but Murin had 1:30 in riding time. Leading by one, Murin chose down to start the third period and quickly escaped to a 1-1 tie while maintaining a 1:14 riding time edge. Murin got in on allow single and Van Ness nearly connected on a counter but a stalemate was called with 1:05 on the clock. Murin used a fast low double to notch the first takedown of the bout and opened up a 3-1 lead. He finished the period on top and, with 1:48 in riding time, posted the 4-1 win.
157: Levi Haines, ranked No. 9 at 157, battled No. 15 Cole Siebrecht. Haines took a series of quick shots in the first :30, setting a fast pace on the Nittany Lion logo. The action remained in neutral as the clock hit 1:00 with Haines pressing forward and Siebrecht playing defense. Haines used a high single to force a scramble at :35 but action ended in a stalemate. Haines continued to shoot and once again nearly took Siebrecht down in the waning seconds. But action was stopped for potentially dangerous and the bout moved to the second period tied 0-0. Haines chose down to start the second period and scrambled his way to an escape and a 1-0 lead at the 1:37 mark. Haines shot repeatedly as Siebrecht continued to step backwards. Haines carried the 1-0 lead into the third period and Siebrecht chose down to start the final stanza. The Hawkeye escaped quickly and the bout continued in neutral tied 1-1. Haines used a textbook high double to lift the Hawkeye off the mat and take a 3-1 lead with the bout's first takedown. Siebrecht escaped to a 3-2 score at the :52 mark. Haines defended a late Siebrecht shot, worked the clock down to 0:00 and walked away with a thrilling 3-2 victory.
165: No. 5 Alex Facundo took on No. 13 Patrick Kennedy at 165. The duo battled through the first minute-plus scoreless, working on the Lion logo in the middle of the mat. The wrestlers contested the first three minutes on their feet with no scoring and the bout moved to the second period tied 0-0. Kennedy chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 1-0 lead. Facundo nearly turned a slick duck under into an opportunity at 1:15 but Kennedy slid away from the move and the clock moved below the 1:00 mark. Facundo fought off a late Kennedy effort and Kennedy led by one after two. Facundo chose down to start the third period and quickly escaped to a 1-1 tie. The Lion then went to work in the middle of the mat, looking for an offensive opening. As the clock moved below 1:00, the duo continued on their feet but the bout moved to sudden victory tied 1-1. Facundo took a low shot and Kennedy stepped away from the action. Kennedy turned a low single into a scramble that Facundo turned into a stalemate with 1:04 left in sudden victory. Facundo took two quick shots and Kennedy nearly locked the Lion in a cradle. But Facundo scrambled his way to a stalemate with :06 left and the match moved to a tie-breaker. Kennedy was down first and quickly escaped in just :04. Facundo, needing an escape in just :04, chose neutral to start his tie-breaker period. He could not take Kennedy down and dropped the 2-1 (tb) decision.
174: Carter Starocci, ranked No. 1 at 174, met No. 16 Nelson Brands. Starocci and Brands battled evenly for the first two minutes with Starocci taking a handful of slight shots that Brands had to defend. Starocci continued to shoot as the clock moved to 0:00. Tied 0-0 after one, Starocci chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 1-0 lead. Starocci continued to shoot Brands backward as the clock hit the 1:00 mark but could not force a stall warning. Starocci was finally awarded a stall warning with :10 left and he led 1-0 after two. Trailing by one, Brands chose down to start the third period. Starocci was able to control the action on top for over a minute and then maintained control through the 1:00 mark to build up over 1:00 in riding time. After hitting the 1:00 mark in riding time, Starocci kept control of Brands until the Hawkeye escaped to a 1-1 tie after a reset with :30 left in the bout. Starocci finished the match on his feet and, with 1:12 in riding time, posted the 2-1 win.
184: No. 1 Aaron Brooks battled Drake Rhodes. Brooks took Rhodes down quickly, using a high double for a 2-1 lead in the opening :15. He added a second takedown to lead 4-1 with 2:28 on the clock, cut Rhodes loose and went back to work on offense. Brooks picked Rhodes' ankle for a third takedown to lead 6-2 with 1:41 left in the first. Brooks turned Rhodes for four back points with :45 on the clock and led 10-2 as the first period wound down. The Lion finished the period on top and carried that lead, with 2:19 in riding time, into the second period. Rhodes chose down to start the second period and Brooks cut him loose to a 10-3 score. Brooks muscled Rhodes to the mat for another takedown and a 12-4 lead, then took him down cone more to lead 14-4. He forced a stall warning at 1:00, cut him loose and then took him down again. He added another cut and takedown and led 18-6 with over 3:00 in riding time after two periods. Brooks chose neutral to start the third period and quickly took Rhodes down once more to open u a 20-6 lead. He finished off the match with a final takedown to post the convincing 22-7 technical fall at the 5:42 mark.
197: Max Dean, ranked No. 4 at 197, faced No. 7 Jacob Warner in a rematch of last year's NCAA title bout. The duo battled evenly for the first minute with neither wrestler connecting on offense. Warner took a quick low single at the 1:00 mark that Dean zipped away from, then Dean nearly turned a high shot into a scoring chance. But Warner kept position and the bout continued tied 0-0 in the final minute of the first period. Dean and Warner ended the first period knotted 0-0. Dean chose down to start the second period. Warner was able to control the action on top for a bit before Dean scrambled his way to an escape and a 1-0 lead at the 1:14 mark. Dean worked the center of the mat as the second period wound down but Warner's defense kept the Nittany Lion senior from connecting on offense and Dean led 1-0 after two. Warner chose down to start the third period and Dean went to work on top. Dean broke Warner down to the mat at the 1:14 mark and forced a stall warning with 1:00 left in the bout. Dean continued to dominate action on top until action was halted for potentially dangerous with :48 left in the bout. Dean was able to keep control of Warner off two resets as time moved below :30. Dean then worked his riding time up over 1:00, continued to dominate on top and finished the period with a rideout. His 1:14 in riding time gave the Nittany Lion a thrilling 2-0 win.
285: No. 2 Greg Kerkvliet took on No. 3 Tony Cassioppi at 285. The highly-ranked duo worked the center of the mat over the first two minutes until Kerkvliet connected on a fast high single. The Penn State big man turned the shot into a takedown and a 2-0 lead with just over 1:00 left in the opening period. Kerkvliet controlled the action for :27 before Cassioppi escaped to a 2-1 score. Kerkvliet carried that one-point lead into the second period. Cassioppi chose down to start the second stanza and Kerkvliet put together a strong ride on top. The Lion junior worked his riding time up over 1:00 and continued to work on top. Kerkvliet controlled the action for the entire second period and finished off the rideout to lead 2-1 with 2:27 in time after two. Kerkvliet chose down to start the third period and escaped toa 3-1 lead, still with 2:27 in riding time. The duo worked the next minute-plus in neutral. Kerkvliet controlled the action on his feet for the remainder of the period and, with 2:27 in riding time, posted the convincing 4-1 win.
• Should Robbie Gould be a Hall of Famer?
The former Penn State kicker will be in action Sunday for the 49ers in the NFC Championship Game against the Eagles. Gould will look to keep his NFL record streak going, as he's made all 29 of his career field-goal attempts during the playoffs (and all 39 PATs).
Do not be surprised if the game against Philly comes down to a kick by Gould. And if so, do not be surprised to see him deliver and help his team get to the Super Bowl. He has been money in the playoffs his entire career.
Gould is now 40 but still going strong. He was 27 of 32 on field goals this year. For his career, he's made 86.46 percent of his attempts, including a league-best 97.1 percent in 2018.
There are only two pure place-kickers in the Pro Football Hall of Fame: Jan Stenerud and Morten Andersen. The Ravens' Justin Tucker, the most accurate kicker of all time at 90.5 percent, should get in at some point.
But think about that: The fact that we have to couch it by saying "should" get in for the most accurate kicker ever shows just how much kickers are overlooked in the hall of fame process. For as important as they are, even the very best of the best are not ensured of a spot in the hall.
Gould ranks eighth on the list of most accurate kickers, at 86.46 percent. That number is not good enough to get him into the hall of fame.
But goodness, postseason success counts in every other sport when we're talking about this stuff. So, shouldn't it count for Gould that he has been perfect for his entire career in the playoffs?
Should Gould be in the hall of fame someday? Yes.
Will he get in? I doubt it.
Kickers just don't get enough love, and that's unlikely to change.
• Get ready for jokes about THAT graphic!
Penn State is guaranteed to have a player in the Super Bowl, since Gould and DT Kevin Givens play for the 49ers, while RB Miles Sanders plays for the Eagles. Also, TE Nick Bowers is with the Bengals, who play the Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game.
So, once we have the Super Bowl pairings, you can expect to see references over the next couple of weeks to Penn State's laughably bad graphic from 2021.
SILVER LINING: Penn State's hilariously bad Super Bowl graphic was mocked nationwide, but in the world of publicity, it also had a small silver lining.https://t.co/PsFMd8uHko pic.twitter.com/DLclrDNdnC
— Cory Giger (@CoryGiger) February 7, 2021
It's all in the fine print with the punchline graphic, with the hilarious words "except for five" added below the large print.
Goodness, I still can't believe anybody at Penn State actually signed off on that graphic a couple of years ago. But, it is the gift that will forever keep on giving on social media once we get around Super Bowl time.
• Huge basketball game on tap Sunday
The Lions host Michigan at noon Sunday on BTN. Penn State simply must win that game, or else its NCAA Tournament hopes could be in big trouble.
The Lions are 4-5 in the Big Ten and 13-7 overall. They're on the outside of the bubble right now in bracketology. Their NET ranking is down to 60. The next game is at No. 1 Purdue.
Gotta win this one.
Michigan is No. 72 in the NET, so this would be a bad home loss. The Wolverines are 5-4 in the Big Ten and 11-9 overall. They still have NCAA tourney hopes and will be motivated by that in this game.
Michigan won the first meeting against Penn State, 79-69, back on Jan. 4 in Ann Arbor, despite 26 points from Jalen Pickett. Big man Hunter Dickinson led the Wolverines with 17 points, and he will be the focus of Penn State's defense in Sunday's matchup.
Prediction: Look for Penn State to find a way to get the job done here with a victory. Micah Shrewsberry's team knows it's time to put up or shut up, so expect the Lions to play well and to perhaps even win comfortably.
• Hockey team sputtering
No. 6 Penn State lost Friday night at No. 7 Michigan, 7-3. The Lions are now 8-8-1 in the Big Ten and have won just one of their past five games, while tying another.
The Lions and Wolverines play again Saturday night at 7.
There was a funny reference to the hockey team in last week's comments as it referred to the Lions as the "Icers," which was the name of Penn State's club team before the Division I program came along.
