I watched the Panthers live this past Sunday and I was impressed with many of the wrestlers efforts. They don't fear anyone on the mat. Coach Schwab has taught them the "no respect for a ranking" mentality and they are not the least bit intimidated by someone ranked higher than them. They upset the higher ranked South Dakota State Jackrabbits & I'm sure Schwab has his sights set on upsetting the higher ranked Missouri Tigers today. At the same time Coach Smith has a heck of a strong team himself. Some very tough wrestlers. There's going to be some great wrestling today. In fact 9/10 matches in my opinion will be gold.
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| #11 Noah Surtin Vs U.R. Kyle Golhoffer 125 |
I tell you what. Kyle Golhoffer went out and took it to #5 Tanner Jordan & darn near upset the All American taking him into overtime. Such a win would have been huge for the Panther as he continues to battle Trever Anderson for the varsity spot. Today he'll have Noah Surtin, another tough wrestler. A wrestler who has made the NCAA tournament many times and is looking for that All American honor in what will be his final attempt. A win for Golhoffer today would mean we have a decision that needs to be made come BIG 12's for Northern Iowa. A win for Surtin, even though it may not say so on paper, would still be another very notable victory for the Tiger.
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| #30 Kaden Moore Vs #28 Julian Farber or U.R. Corey Land 133 |
I didn't realize it until this past Sunday, but Northern Iowa has a heck of a battle for varsity at 133 lbs too. We have Julian Farber, who I think resembles one of those rough undercover cops from a good 70's, 80's or early 90's movie. I picture him in between wrestling practices, competition & academics going out and helping Waterloo's finest to clean up the town catching scumbags and dirtbags. Then we have Corey Land, who pulled off a huge 9-7 win over Derek Cardinal two days ago. With Schwab, you never know who's going to be sent out onto the mat. Doesn't matter, because today in a dual between Missouri team & and an Iowa team, held in Wisconsin, either guy is going to give Kaden Moore absolute terror on the mat. Will be a good match.
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| #18 Josh Edmond Vs #6 Cael Happel 141 |
We have a very fun match to look forward today at 141 lbs. In all sense of reality, the rankings here should be ignored, and the history between the two should be the focus. Josh Edmond & Cael Happel have met a total of three times in their collegiate careers. Edmond has won 4-3 & 7-5 decisions, while Happel has won a 10-3 decision. What to make of these results? Happel seems to have two operational levels. Low gear and high gear. Even in low gear, he's difficult to beat, but in high gear, he's really, really hard to beat. Both of these guys came back from early round losses at the NCAA DI tournament to find themselves in the bloodround. Both lost their matches by a single takedown. So in other words we have two big cats (one a Tiger & the other a Panther) climbing the mountain. Both are starved, ready to pounce and go in for the kill. Who will get that fatal bite to the jugular?
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| #24 Logan Gioffre Vs #17 Colin Realbuto 149 |
The last time these two met, it was a textbook, go to work, take care of business 7-1 decision for Colin Realbuto over Logan Gioffre. If the Panther were to be able to put a few more points on the board this time, that'd be a major decision for Northern Iowa. Exactly what UNI needs if they want to be taken seriously in their attempt to upset Missouri today. Gioffre has been struggling against higher ranked opponents thus far this year & that may very well be the advantage the purple & gold need in this dual. On the same hand though, Gioffre came alive at various times last year. He even took the NCAA DI champ to a 2 point match. So he can be tough when he wants to be.
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| #15 Cam Steed Vs #30 Jack Thomsen or U.R. R.J. Weston 165 |
Again, the Panthers with two very tough wrestlers at the same weight class. Thomsen was defeated couple of days ago 12-7 by South Dakota State's Drake Rhodes. With that noted, I'll be anxious to see who Schwab sends out on the mat today. Either way, whoever it is, has themselves one heck of a test in Cam Steed. He's undefeated so far this year, but did have to injury default 5 days ago. So there's a good question mark. Will Steed be 100% today? Will he even be wrestling? I hate it when injuries and illness factor in. If you're going to upset a team, do you really want to do it like that? No, but it is all a part of it. If Steed isn't good to go today, that could poise very well for Northern Iowa in this dual.
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| #1 Keegan O'Toole Vs #19 Jared Simma 174 |
Here's where Missouri has an opportunity to show the vast size and strength difference between a Tiger & a Panther. No doubt about it, Jared Simma is going to go out on the mat unimpressed and unintimidated. It may not make a difference though. O'Toole will impress you whether you want him to or not. Now, Simma did give #3 Cade DeVos all he could handle in a 7-6 loss this past Sunday. That has to be making him feel confident. So I think the question begged here is, what kind of match can Simma give O'Toole? Can he keep this to a decision? It'd be valuable points not being given up if he can. Against a guy like O'Toole though, that can be very difficult to do.
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| #11 Colton Hawks Vs #2 Parker Keckeisen 184 |
Parker Keckeisen has defeated Colton Hawks every time he's stepped out on the mat against him. Twice by major decision & four other times by decision. That's six wins against a good, tough opponent. The over/under greatly favors the Panther. The question here isn't who is going to win this match. The question here is by what score does Keckeisen win? Hawks has given Keckeisen as good as a 3-2 match. His worst lost to the Panther was 12-2. In a dual setting, it becomes quite Shakespearean. "The Bonus Points, to give or not to give up...that is the question." Northern Iowa wants them here. Missouri doesn't.
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| #4 Rocky Elam Vs #15 Wyatt Voelker 197 |
I was rather galvanized by Wyatt Voelker this past Sunday. He looked bigger, stronger and more chiseled than the last time I saw him. It was obvious that he's put some serious time and effort into the weight room, and it has paid off. When I watched him wrestle Zach Glazier at the Soldier Salute two seasons ago, Glazier had his way with him in a 12-3 major decision. Two days ago, Voelker gave Glazier all he could handle in a 4-3 loss. I've commented and complimented Schwab many times on improving his wrestlers physically and mentally. Voelker is an example of it. However, he has an extremely tough test today. Four time All American Rocky Elam, who doesn't want to leave Hartland, Wisconsin today with a team loss. This time I think we have a complete opposite that we do at 184 lbs. The tables have turned. It is now Missouri that wants bonus points here and Northern Iowa that doesn't. Duals become so strategic. I love it.
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| #21 Seth Nitzel Vs U.R. Lance Runyon HWT |
I'm not going to lie. 174 lbs all the way up to HWT? I was very skeptical of Lance Runyon going up three weight classes. It's not just that, but realistically we could be talking a 100 lbs jump. That's a lot of weight. Nonetheless, with a 7-2 victory over Luke Rasmussen, he made a believer out of me. Lance Runyon can indeed hang with the big boys. Now he has another opportunity to score another big win for the Panthers. Not only help himself to another upset but possibly help his team to another upset. That'd be big for the purple and gold. Easier said than done against an opponent like Seth Nitzel.
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