What we learned from Nebraska wrestling crushing Indiana in final Big Ten dual
No. 6 Nebraska wrestling (Coaches Poll No. 5) cruised by No. 25 Indiana (8-5, 3-4) on Sunday in Bloomington, Ind.
After three consecutive losses to top-5 opponents in January, the Huskers (12-6, 5-3) close out Big Ten duals with three consecutive wins following a 34-5 victory over the Hoosiers. The Big Red’s energy didn’t stutter from its 28-11 victory at No. 10 Illinois on Friday. Most impressively, NU won 17 of its 20 bouts this weekend over two top-25 programs.
Here are the three biggest takeaways from the dual…
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125 lets down again, Van Dee dominates in return
It was a rough weekend at 125 pounds for Kael Lauridsen. After his 11-6 upset over then-No. 24 Dedrick Navarro of Northwestern, it appeared Lauridsen may have found his groove. However, it was the complete opposite.
The Bennington, Neb., native was pinned by No. 16 Spencer Moore of Illinois on Friday, and it didn’t go much better against No. 17 Jacob Moran to open Sunday’s dual. Moran controlled Lauridsen the entire match in NU’s 19-4 tech fall loss, which ended at 1:19 in the third period. While Nebraska’s lineup is rolling in the other nine weight classes, the 125-pound slot will need to be addressed this offseason.
Following the poor Husker start, No. 9 Jacob Van Dee (133) looked 100% in his return to the lineup after being out against Illinois due to an illness. In fact, the junior hammered Gavin Jendreas in an 18-1 tech fall that featured three takedowns and two 4-point near falls.
Leaders ease to victory, Araujo caps off strong weekend
No. 4 Brock Hardy (141) and No. 3 Antrell Taylor (157) remain red-hot on the mat. Hardy recorded a whopping six takedowns in his 20-4 tech fall over No. 25 Henry Porter. The 2025 NCAA runner-up is wrestling the best he has all season at the right time.
It’s the same narrative for Taylor. In fact, the Millard Neb., native one-upped Hardy with seven takedowns himself in his 21-5 tech fall for his 19th win of the season. It’s clear that Taylor is solely eyeing to repeat as NCAA Champion at 157.
No. 7 LJ Araujo posted a strong weekend with two ranked wins. After the redshirt freshman 165-pounder’s 8-5 decision over No. 8 Braeden Scoles of Illinois, he capped off the weekend with another ranked win, this time coming against No. 18 Tyler Lillard.
Araujo jumped out to a 7-0 lead and nearly pinned Lillard with his cradle lock in the second period. Lillard responded with a reversal and a takedown in the third, but Araujo’s force was too much to overcome in a 10-8 decision. It won’t come easy, but the rising Nebraska underclassman has a legit shot at standing on the podium in March.
What we learned from Nebraska wrestling’s top-10 win at Illinois
Allred picks up ranked win in homecoming
No. 6 Silas Allred (184) earned a top-20 victory in his homecoming. With his family in attendance, the Anderson, Ind., native commanded No. 19 Sam Goin in an 11-2 major decision. The sixth-year senior All-American tacked on three takedowns in his 15th win of the season.
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Allred broke down the match post-dual on the Big Ten Network.
“It’s especially special getting to come back to Indiana my senior year as the dust starts to settle,” Allred told BTN. “We get to that postseason, just really getting to come back here in front of my family and the hometown fans — it’s super special.”
Other Results
***No. 20 Chance Lamer (149) landed an early takedown in the first period to squeak by Joey Buttler in a 5-3 decision.
***No. 4 Christopher Minto (174) picked up his third straight win over No. 28 Derek Gilcher by a 7-3 decision.
***No. 9 Camden McDanel (197) recorded a 5-3 decision over No. 22 Gabe Sollars. The NU sophomore All-American finishes 7-1 in conference duals.
***No. 4 heavyweight AJ Ferrari capped off the dual with a 9-3 decision over Matt Kowalski for his 12th win as a Husker.
Nebraska returns to the mat for its final dual before the Big Ten Championships on Saturday, Feb. 21, against Utah Valley. First bout starts at 8 p.m. CT and can be streamed with a subscription to FloWrestling.
