WHO: #6 Minnesota Golden Gophers (10-1, 6-1 Big Ten)
WHEN: 8:00 PM CT (Friday, February 14, 2025)
WHERE: Maturi Pavilion (Minneapolis, MN)
TV: BTN (tbd)
RADIO: Hawkeye Radio Network (Steven Grace, Mark Ironside)
MOBILE: foxsports.com/mobile
ONLINE: foxsports.com/live
FOLLOW: @HawkeyeBeacon | @Hawks_Wrestling | @IowaonBTN
125: #26 Joey Cruz (SO, 12-8) vs #13 Cooper Flynn (JR, 12-3) OR Brandon Morvari (rFR, 4-6)
133: #3 Drake Ayala (JR, 13-1) vs #19 Tyler Wells (SO, 9-4)
141: Cullan Schriever (SR, 4-7) vs #8 Vance Vombaur (JR, 19-3)
149: #3 Kyle Parco (SR, 15-1) vs Drew Roberts (JR, 10-5)
157: #3 Jacori Teemer (GR, 3-2) vs #8 Tommy Askey (SR, 20-2) OR Charlie Millard (FR, 11-1)
165: #3 Michael Caliendo (JR, 15-1) vs #11 Andrew Sparks (SR, 19-4)
174: #11 Patrick Kennedy (SR, 9-3) OR Nelson Brands (GR, 3-1) vs #22 Clayton Whiting, (SO, 14-7)
184: #8 Gabe Arnold (rFR, 12-1) vs #4 Max McEnelly (rFR, 17-0)
197: #1 Stephen Buchanan (GR, 16-0) vs #8 Isaiah Salazar (SR, 15-3)
285: #11 Ben Kueter (rFR, 12-3) vs #1 Gable Steveson (GR, 10-0)
Favored weights for MIN: 125, 141, 184, 285
Minnesota looks to be a solid favorite at four weights, two lower weights (125 and 141) and two upper weights (184 and 285). There's definite bonus point potential there, as well, especially at 141 and 285 (where Steveson is probably a near-lock for bonus points). 184 is close to toss-up range, but Arnold has been in poor form lately, while McEnelly has been rolling. Case in point: he owns major decision wins over Ryder Rogotzke and Silas Allred, both of whom took Arnold to sudden victory in recent weeks (with Arnold beating Rogotzke and losing to Allred).
Favored weights for IA: 133, 149, 165, 197
Meanwhile, Iowa should be favored at four weights as well, with Ayala and Parco having bonus point potential at 133 and 149, respectively. At 165, Caliendo owns a 4-0 lifetime record against Sparks, but all four wins have been tight -- Caliendo hasn't won any by more than three points and two of them came down to a single point. Salazar is a very capable threat at 197, but Buchanan has been wrestling at another level for much of this season.
Toss-ups: 157, 174
A fully-fit Teemer would make 157 a favored weight for Iowa, but he's wrestled just twice since late November, winning one and losing one. I'd favor him to beat Askey, but it's far from a lock at present, especially as we don't know how Teemer will look on Friday night. 174 is another weight with some uncertainty, as the match notes list both Patrick Kennedy and Nelson Brands as options for Iowa; Brands hasn't wrestled since early December, while Kennedy has lost three of his last four bouts (albeit all to top 10 opposition).
This certainly could be another nervy dual like Iowa-Nebraska that comes down to the final match or two to determine the winner. If the dual ends at 285, Iowa will want to be sure they have a healthy lead in the team score by then, since Gable Steveson gives Minnesota a major point-scoring weapon in that final bout if they need it. Bonus points in the earlier matches could be vital, as well as avoiding upsets at weights where the Hawkeyes are favored and trying to either control the toss-up bouts and/or win one or more of the underdog matches.
I'll post results in the comments.
WHEN: 8:00 PM CT (Friday, February 14, 2025)
WHERE: Maturi Pavilion (Minneapolis, MN)
TV: BTN (tbd)
RADIO: Hawkeye Radio Network (Steven Grace, Mark Ironside)
MOBILE: foxsports.com/mobile
ONLINE: foxsports.com/live
FOLLOW: @HawkeyeBeacon | @Hawks_Wrestling | @IowaonBTN
125: #26 Joey Cruz (SO, 12-8) vs #13 Cooper Flynn (JR, 12-3) OR Brandon Morvari (rFR, 4-6)
133: #3 Drake Ayala (JR, 13-1) vs #19 Tyler Wells (SO, 9-4)
141: Cullan Schriever (SR, 4-7) vs #8 Vance Vombaur (JR, 19-3)
149: #3 Kyle Parco (SR, 15-1) vs Drew Roberts (JR, 10-5)
157: #3 Jacori Teemer (GR, 3-2) vs #8 Tommy Askey (SR, 20-2) OR Charlie Millard (FR, 11-1)
165: #3 Michael Caliendo (JR, 15-1) vs #11 Andrew Sparks (SR, 19-4)
174: #11 Patrick Kennedy (SR, 9-3) OR Nelson Brands (GR, 3-1) vs #22 Clayton Whiting, (SO, 14-7)
184: #8 Gabe Arnold (rFR, 12-1) vs #4 Max McEnelly (rFR, 17-0)
197: #1 Stephen Buchanan (GR, 16-0) vs #8 Isaiah Salazar (SR, 15-3)
285: #11 Ben Kueter (rFR, 12-3) vs #1 Gable Steveson (GR, 10-0)
Favored weights for MIN: 125, 141, 184, 285
Minnesota looks to be a solid favorite at four weights, two lower weights (125 and 141) and two upper weights (184 and 285). There's definite bonus point potential there, as well, especially at 141 and 285 (where Steveson is probably a near-lock for bonus points). 184 is close to toss-up range, but Arnold has been in poor form lately, while McEnelly has been rolling. Case in point: he owns major decision wins over Ryder Rogotzke and Silas Allred, both of whom took Arnold to sudden victory in recent weeks (with Arnold beating Rogotzke and losing to Allred).
Favored weights for IA: 133, 149, 165, 197
Meanwhile, Iowa should be favored at four weights as well, with Ayala and Parco having bonus point potential at 133 and 149, respectively. At 165, Caliendo owns a 4-0 lifetime record against Sparks, but all four wins have been tight -- Caliendo hasn't won any by more than three points and two of them came down to a single point. Salazar is a very capable threat at 197, but Buchanan has been wrestling at another level for much of this season.
Toss-ups: 157, 174
A fully-fit Teemer would make 157 a favored weight for Iowa, but he's wrestled just twice since late November, winning one and losing one. I'd favor him to beat Askey, but it's far from a lock at present, especially as we don't know how Teemer will look on Friday night. 174 is another weight with some uncertainty, as the match notes list both Patrick Kennedy and Nelson Brands as options for Iowa; Brands hasn't wrestled since early December, while Kennedy has lost three of his last four bouts (albeit all to top 10 opposition).
This certainly could be another nervy dual like Iowa-Nebraska that comes down to the final match or two to determine the winner. If the dual ends at 285, Iowa will want to be sure they have a healthy lead in the team score by then, since Gable Steveson gives Minnesota a major point-scoring weapon in that final bout if they need it. Bonus points in the earlier matches could be vital, as well as avoiding upsets at weights where the Hawkeyes are favored and trying to either control the toss-up bouts and/or win one or more of the underdog matches.
I'll post results in the comments.
