No. 1 Nittany Lions Dominate No. 5 Nebraska

Penn State wins 26-12 in Big Ten wrestling dual meet

Jan. 31, 2026 at 7:15am

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The top-ranked Penn State Nittany Lions wrestling team defeated No. 5 Nebraska 26-12 in a Big Ten dual meet on Friday night. Penn State won 6 of the 10 matches, including 4 straight wins in the middle weights that broke the dual open. The Nittany Lions extended their NCAA-record winning streak to 83 consecutive victories.

Why it matters

This was a highly anticipated matchup between two of the top wrestling programs in the country. Penn State's dominant performance against a top-5 opponent reinforces their status as the clear favorite to win another NCAA team title this season.

The details

Penn State led just 10-9 at the midway point, but then reeled off 4 straight wins from Mitchell Mesenbrink, Levi Haines, Rocco Welsh, and Josh Barr to pull away. Mesenbrink had 5 takedowns in a 20-5 win, while Haines scored a late takedown to beat the 4th-ranked wrestler 8-6. Welsh clinched the dual meet victory with a 14-5 major decision. Nebraska's defending national champion Antrell Taylor beat Penn State's P.J. Duke 2-1 in tiebreakers in the match of the night.

  • The dual meet took place on Friday, January 31, 2026.

The players

Penn State

The top-ranked NCAA Division I wrestling team, known for their dominant lineup and NCAA-record 83-match winning streak.

Nebraska

The 5th-ranked NCAA Division I wrestling team, featuring defending national champion Antrell Taylor.

Cael Sanderson

The head coach of the Penn State wrestling team, who has led the Nittany Lions to multiple NCAA team titles.

Luke Lilledahl

Penn State's top-ranked 125-pound wrestler, who won his match by technical fall.

Antrell Taylor

Nebraska's defending national champion wrestler, who defeated Penn State's P.J. Duke 2-1 in tiebreakers.

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What they’re saying

“Yeah, that sounds pretty good. I've never really thought about that, but we love our lineup. We love our guys.”

— Cael Sanderson, Head Coach, Penn State Wrestling (centredaily.com)

“It's pretty much like a 10-punch knockout.”

— Luke Lilledahl (centredaily.com)

What’s next

Penn State will look to continue their dominant season as they chase another NCAA team championship. Nebraska will try to rebound from this loss as they prepare for the remainder of their Big Ten schedule.

The takeaway

Penn State's deep and talented lineup proved too much for Nebraska, as the Nittany Lions extended their NCAA-record winning streak to 83 matches. This dual showcased the strength of the Penn State program and their status as the clear favorites to win another national title this season.