DUAL INFORMATION
Purdue (7-2, 0-0 B1G) at No. 12 Nebraska (4-1, 1-1 B1G)
Friday, Jan. 9 // 8 p.m. ET // Devaney Center // Lincoln, Neb.
DUAL LINKS
Dual Notes // Rankings, Results, #BoilerNotes and much more
Live Results // TrackWrestling
Twitter // @PurdueWrestling
Watch // Huskers.com
Purdue (7-2, 0-0 B1G) at No. 20 Wisconsin (5-1, 3-0 B1G)
Sunday, Jan. 11 // 2 p.m. ET // UW Field House // Madison, Wis.
DUAL LINKS
Dual Notes // Rankings, Results, #BoilerNotes and much more
Live Results // TrackWrestling
Twitter // @PurdueWrestling
Watch // BTN2Go
SOCIAL MEDIA
Always be in the know, go behind the scenes and travel with the Boilermakers all season long.
- Facebook // Purdue Wrestling
- Instagram // @PurdueWrestling
- Tumblr // purduewrestling.tumblr.com
- Twitter // @PurdueWrestling
- Hashtags // #BoilerUp #AlwaysAggressive
- Tony Ersland // Instagram @tonyersland // Twitter @tonyersland
- Zach Tanelli // Instagram @ztanelli // Twitter @ZachTanelli
- Tyrel Todd // Instagram @tyrel_todd // Twitter @Tyrel_Todd
| PURDUE BOILERMAKERS // PROBABLE LINEUP | |||||
| Weight | Rank | Name | Year | Record | Hometown |
| 125 | Aaron Assad | R-Fr. | 9-10 | Brecksville, Ohio | |
| Luke Welch | R-Fr. | 7-8 | Newburgh, Ind. | ||
| 133 | Danny Sabatello | R-Jr. | 17-3 | Long Grove, Ill. | |
| Kyle Ayersman | R-So. | 9-3 | Newburgh, Ind. | ||
| 141 | Nick Lawrence | R-Sr. | 15-8 | Westlake, Ohio | |
| 149 | Brandon Nelsen | R-Sr. | 16-5 | Indianapolis, Ind. | |
| 157 | Doug Welch | R-Jr. | 18-6 | Newburgh, Ind. | |
| 165 | Pat Robinson | R-Sr. | 10-7 | Noblesville, Ind. | |
| 174 | Chad Welch | R-Jr. | 15-8 | Newburgh, Ind. | |
| Jacob Morrissey | R-Fr. | 10-3 | Oconto Falls, Wis. | ||
| 184 | Patrick Kissel | R-Sr. | 13-5 | Sheboygan, Wis. | |
| Tanner Lynde | R-So. | 6-7 | Delphi, Ind. | ||
| 197 | 8 | Braden Atwood | R-Sr. | 9-2 | Delphi, Ind. |
| 285 | Tyler Kral | R-So. | 8-13 | Crown Point, Ind. | |
Head Coach // Tony Ersland (Iowa, 1997)
Assistant Coaches // Zach Tanelli (Wisconsin, 2009) and Tyrel Todd (Michigan, 2009)
| NEBRASKA HUSKERS // PROBABLE LINEUP | |||||
| Weight | Rank | Name | Year | Record | Hometown |
| 125 | 12 | Tim Lambert | So. | 13-6 | Forest Hills, Mich. |
| 133 | Eric Montoya | So. | 10-7 | Albuquerque, N.M. | |
| 141 | 12 | Anthony Abidin | Jr. | 17-2 | Dix Hills, N.Y. |
| 149 | Justin Arthur | So. | 15-8 | Huntington, W.Va. | |
| 157 | 2 | James Green | Sr. | 18-1 | Willingboro, N.J. |
| 165 | Austin Wilson | Jr. | 7-7 | Hastings, Neb. | |
| 174 | 1 | Robert Kokesh | Sr. | 21-0 | Wagner, S.D. |
| 184 | 18 | TJ Dudley | So. | 14-5 | Irmo, S.C. |
| Aaron Studebaker | So. | 18-6 | Raymond, Neb. | ||
| 197 | Micah Barnes | So. | 10-9 | Inver Grove Heights, Minn. | |
| Aaron Studebaker | So. | 18-6 | Raymond, Neb. | ||
| 285 | 17 | Collin Jensen | So. | 9-7 | Mobridge, S.D. |
Head Coach // Mark Manning (Nebraska-Omaha, 1985)
Associate Head Coach // Bryan Snyder (Nebraska, 2002)
Assistant Coach // Jordan Burroughs (Nebraska, 2011)
Volunteer Assistant Coach // Matt Meuleners (Northern State, 2013)
SCOUTING THE HUSKERS
- Nebraska opened the New Year with a fourth-place showing at the Southern Scuffle (1/1-2) in Chattanooga, Tenn. Senior All-Americans Robert Kokesh (174) and James Green (157) won their respective weight class, while Anthony Abidin was third at 141, Tim Lambert placed fifth at 125 and TJ Dudley took eighth at 184.
- Kokesh was named B1G Wrestler of the Week following his 6-0 and championship performance at the Scuffle. He pinned his first three opponents before notching a major decision over 18th-ranked Kyle Crutchmer of Oklahoma State in the quarterfinals. He topped Missouri's John Eblen in the semifinals, 5-2, and defeated No. 4 Matt Brown of Penn State in the finals, 3-2.
- Nebraska's last dual action was a 23-14 loss to unranked Wisconsin at home in the Devaney Center on Dec. 13. The Huskers opened with a major decision at 174 and UW responded by taking the next three bouts. Each team recorded two wins by major decision, but the Badgers got an upset at 149 and a pin at 165 as the difference makers.
- Sophomores TJ Dudley and Aaron Studebaker continue to compete for the starting spot at 184 pounds. Dudley, a 2014 NCAA qualifier, is 14-5 this season and holds a 1-2 record in duals. Studebaker is 18-6 this season and holds a 2-1 record in duals with his lone dual loss coming at 197 pounds.
- The Huskers have been ranked as high as seventh this season. They own a 4-1 mark in duals and are 1-1 in B1G, defeating then-No. 25 Wyoming (22-13), Maryland (42-3), Duke (45-3) and NC State (16-15).
- Of the probables listed for Friday, Eric Montoya (133), Justin Arthur (149) and TJ Dudley (184) have losing dual records. A trio boast perfect 5-0 dual marks: Anthony Abidin (141), James Green (157) and Robert Kokesh (174).
- Friday's probable matchup at 174 pounds between No. 1 Kokesh and Chad Welch marks the third time the Boilermaker has gone up against a top-ranked opponent.
LAST MEETING // NEBRASKA // JAN. 26, 2014
- No. 15 Braden Atwood and Danny Sabatello were victorious as No. 21 Purdue returned to Holloway Gymnasium for the first time in two months, but 10th-ranked Nebraska proved to be too much for the Boilermakers, taking the dual 28-9. The Huskers captured bonus points in two of their eight matches en route to their 10th dual win of the season, improving to 10-1, 4-1 B1G. With the loss, Purdue's record stands at 5-5, 0-5 B1G.
No. 10 Nebraska 28, No. 21 Purdue 9
184 // No. 11 TJ Dudley (Nebraska) dec. Tanner Lynde (Purdue), 5-1
197 // No. 15 Braden Atwood (Purdue) dec. No. 20 Caleb Kolb (Nebraska), 3-1
285 // Colin Jensen (Nebraska) dec. Alex White (Purdue), 4-1
125 // No. 9 Tim Lambert (Nebraska) dec. Camden Eppert (Purdue), 3-0
133 // Shawn Nagel (Nebraska) pin No. 14 Cashé Quiroga (Purdue), 3:53
141 // Danny Sabatello (Purdue) pin Colton McCrystal (Nebraska), 6:53
149 // No. 5 Jake Sueflohn (Nebraska) dec. Brandon Nelsen (Purdue), 11-4
157 // No. 1 James Green (Nebraska) dec. Alex Griffin (Purdue), 11-4
165 // Austin Wilson (Nebraska) dec. Chad Welch (Purdue), 6-0
174 // No. 4 Robert Kokesh (Nebraska) maj. dec. Patrick Kissel (Purdue), 12-3
SERIES HISTORY // NEBRASKA
- Nebraska leads 7-1 ... Huskers are 1-0 in Lincoln, 4-1 in West Lafayette and 2-0 on a neutral mat.
- Series dates back to Jan. 3, 1930, when Nebraska winning, 23-11
- Huskers have won four straight in the series
- Friday's dual marks the first time two programs have faced off in consecutive seasons
- Only third meeting as B1G opponents (2012, 2014) ... last meeting prior to Nebraska joining the B1G was in 1992.
- In their only trip to Lincoln on Jan. 22, 2012, Boilermakers were defeated 24-9
- It has been nearly 30 years since Purdue's lone win in the series occurred, a 33-9 victory in West Lafayette on Feb. 16, 1985
| WISCONSIN BADGERS // PROBABLE LINEUP | |||||
| Weight | Rank | Name | Year | Record | Hometown |
| 125 | Johnny Jimenez | So. | 5-4 | Fayette County, Ohio | |
| 133 | 14 | Ryan Taylor | So. | 14-3 | Fayette County, Ohio |
| 141 | Jesse Thielke | So. | 2-2 | Vesper, Wis. | |
| 149 | Rylan Lubeck | So. | 7-6 | Vesper, Wis. | |
| 157 | Jarod Donar | Fr. | 9-8 | Spring Green, Wis. | |
| 165 | 3 | Issac Jordan | So. | 13-1 | Urbana, Ohio |
| 174 | 18 | Frank Cousins | Sr. | 13-7 | St. Cloud, Fla. |
| 184 | Ricky Robertson | Fr. | 17-5 | Tinley Park, Ill. | |
| 197 | 10 | Timmy McCall | Sr. | 16-3 | Hope Mills, N.C. |
| 285 | 5 | Connor Medbery | So. | 19-1 | Loveland, Colo. |
Head Coach // Barry Davis (Iowa, 1985)
Assistant Coaches // Kyle Ruschell (Wisconsin, 2010), Trevor Brandvold (Wisconsin, 2011)
Volunteer Assistant Coach // Mitch Hull (Wisconsin, 1980)
SCOUTING THE BADGERS
- Wisconsin travels to No. 18 Northwestern on Friday for its fourth B1G dual of the season before hosting the Boilermakers on Sunday. The Badgers are 3-0 in conference action with wins over Maryland (28-12), Indiana (45-0) and Nebraska (23-14).
- Wisconsin is returning to Evanston just two weeks after competing at Midlands. UW was seventh in the team standings with 80.5 points and had five placewinners, including 197-pound runner-up Timmy McCall. Ryan Taylor and Connor Medbery placed third at 133 and 285 pounds, respectively. Frank Cousins (174) and Ricky Robertson (184) both placed seventh.
- The Badgers' last dual outing was against Indiana (12/11) and Nebraska (12/13). The 45-0 shutout of Indiana was the first Wisconsin has had over a Division I school in 11 years and the Badgers did not give up any offensive points to the Hoosiers. Two days later the unranked Wisconsin squad went into Lincoln, Neb., and upset the eighth-ranked Huskers, 23-14. The following week UW entered the USA Today/NWCA Division I Coaches Poll at No. 19, as one of two newcomers, the other being Purdue. The Badgers were in the Nov. 18 poll at No. 19, but fell out following a 20-19 loss on criteria at Rider on Nov. 20.
- Wisconsin boasts five returning NCAA qualifiers in Medbery (2013-14), Isaac Jordan (2014), McCall (2014), Taylor (2014) and Rylan Lubeck (2014). Jordan was an All-American at 157 pounds in his first season for the Badgers.
- True freshman Johnny Jimenez is slated to make his fourth consecutive start at 125 after going 2-2 in his debut wins against South Dakota State and Indiana.
LAST MEETING // WISCONSIN // JAN. 28, 2013
- The No. 22 Purdue wrestling team snapped a three-match losing streak, knocking off 20th-ranked Wisconsin, 22-14, at Hinsdale Central High School in Hinsdale, Ill. The Boilermakers improved to 11-5 on the year and 2-3 in conference action, while the Badgers fell to 7-5, 4-3 B1G. The Boilermakers won six of the 10 bouts, including bonus-point victories at 141 and 184 pounds. It was Purdue's first neutral-site victory over Wisconsin in series history, snapping a streak of 10 consecutive losses to the Badgers in matches not held in West Lafayette or Madison, as well as extending Purdue's win streak over Wisconsin to three straight.
No. 22 Purdue 22, No. 20 Wisconsin 14
125 // No. 15 Camden Eppert (Purdue) dec. Matt Cavallaris (Wisconsin), 3-1
133 // No. 5 Tyler Graff (Wisconsin) tech. fall Danny Sabatello (Purdue), 21-5 (6:15)
141 // Brandon Nelsen (Purdue) pin Tom Kelliher (Wisconsin), 6:26
149 // No. 13 Ivan Lopouchanski (Purdue) dec. Cole Schmitt (Wisconsin), 2-1 (TB1)
157 // Tommy Churchard (Purdue) dec. Kalvin York (Wisconsin), 4-3
165 // Pat Robinson (Purdue) dec. Frank Cousins (Wisconsin), 11-5
174 // Scott Liegel (Wisconsin) dec. Chad Welch (Purdue), 7-2
184 // Patrick Kissel (Purdue) maj. dec. Ben Cox (Wisconsin), 9-0
197 // No. 20 Jackson Hein (Wisconsin) dec. No. 17 Braden Atwood (Purdue), 6-6 (TB2)*
285 // No. 11 Connor Medbery (Wisconsin) dec. Alex White (Purdue), 8-3
*Hein won via riding time accumulated in overtime
SERIES HISTORY // WISCONSIN
- Wisconsin leads 41-15-2 ... Badgers are 13-6-2 in West Lafayette, 18-8 in Madison and 10-1 on a neutral mat.
- Series dates back to March 1, 1924, when Purdue defeated UW, 11-6
- Purdue and Badgers did not meet last year after five straight seasons (2009-13), where Purdue held a 3-2 edge ... wrestling on the road on Feb. 6, 2011, the 24th-ranked Boilermakers upset sixth-ranked Wisconsin, 18-16 ... that upset stands as the last time Purdue beat a top-10 ranked opponent.
- Three straight wins are a best for Boilermakers in the series ... in those last three meetings, Purdue has outscored UW 81-33 ... also won three consecutive duals in 1947, 1948 and 1956.
- Purdue dominated on its last visit to Madison with a 41-3 blowout on Jan. 20, 2012
- The Boilermakers' last lost to Badgers on their home mat came on Feb. 15, 2009, 19-15
Individual rankings // InterMat (1/6)
A CLOSER LOOK AT PURDUE'S PROBABLE LINEUP
- Jacob Morrissey returns to the probable lineup for the first time since the Journeymen/ASICS Northeast Duals as a second option at 174. He has appeared once in the lineup, pinning Antonio Rodriguez of Indiana Tech in 1:46.
- Danny Sabatello leads the way with a 9-0 mark in dual action and has scored 37 points for Purdue. Sabatello has claimed victory in 19 of his last 23 dual matches spanning the past two seasons. He has won his last 11 dual matches dating back to a 10-6 upset of then-No. 8 Steven Rodrigues of Illinois on Feb. 7, 2014.
- Doug Welch, who is 8-1 in duals, has been victorious in his last four dual matches.
- After starting 0-2 in duals, Chad Welch has won his last six dual matches at 174, which is a career best for the redshirt junior.
- Purdue's wrestlers have combined for a dual record of 58-32. Through nine duals, the Boilermakers have posted 40 decisions, 10 falls, five major decisions, two technical falls and have received one forfeit. Of the 32 losses, 25 are by decision, six are by major decision and they have been pinned once.
- Through nine duals, Purdue has scored 216 points with six different lineups. Changes in the lineup have been made at 125, 149, 174, 184 and 197.
- Coach Ersland's squad is 3-0 at home, 2-0 on the road and 2-2 at neutral sites.
WE'VE MET BEFORE
- Other than last year's dual, the only other rematch against Nebraska is likely to be Chad Welch versus Robert Kokesh. Welch is 0-1 against the Husker as Kokesh, who was ranked fourth at the time, dealt Welch a 7-3 setback at the 2013 B1G Championships.
- A number of Purdue wrestlers are familiar with their probable Wisconsin opponent, battling them at Midlands two weeks ago:
- 125 // Aaron Assad scored a 5-1 decision over Johnny Jimenez - 149 // Brandon Nelsen's third period escape and takedown of Rylan Lubeck earned him a 3-1 decision - 157 // Doug Welch used a takedown, a three-point nearfall and 1:09 riding time to defeat Jarod Donar, 6-3
- Wisconsin's Issac Jordan pinned Pat Robinson at the Northern Iowa Open in 2012 ... Braden Atwood beat Timmy McCall in wrestleback action of the 2014 B1G Championships, 5-3.
- Wisconsin volunteer assistant coach Mitch Hull was the head coach at Purdue for four seasons (1989-92). While at the helm, he compiled a record of 38-25-3.
- Tony Ersland will be making his return to Lincoln, Neb., a place he called home for eight years as an assistant coach before taking over the Boilermaker program in May 2014. He will be in the opposite corner of one of his star pupils, 2012 Olympic Gold medalist Jordan Burroughs, who was named an assistant coach for the Huskers following Ersland's departure.
- Sunday's trip to Madison, Wis., marks the third time that assistant coach Zach Tanelli returns to his alma mater as a coach. He is 1-1 as a coach against his former team, with both duals taking place while he was an assistant at Hofstra. Tanelli was a two-time NCAA qualifier for the Badgers at 133 pounds and earned a spot on the 141 podium with a fourth-place finish for All-America accolades.
RANKINGS NOTES
- After upsetting then-No. 20 Chattanooga and a victory over North Carolina, Purdue pushed into the top 25 of the USA Today/NWCA Division I Coaches Poll released on Dec. 19 at No. 25. The Boilermakers, who are off to a 7-2 start with a pair of wins over ranked teams, had been receiving votes in the last three editions of the weekly poll. However, the following week they dropped out of the ranks and have been receiving votes in the last two polls.
- Braden Atwood has been ranked by InterMat for 49 consecutive weeks dating back to Oct. 28, 2012. The redshirt senior is listed at No. 8 on InterMat's 197-pound list for the fifth time this season, marking the highest ranking of his career.
- Ten weeks of rankings have been issued and as many Boilermakers have appeared at least once in one of the five polls. There have been three weeks in which a pair of grapplers, Atwood and Danny Sabatello (133), were included on all five.
- Purdue wrestlers have gone up against 47 ranked opponents and won nine times. Sabatello has upended three of the four ranked foes he faced and Chad Welch (174) has a trio of upsets. An 8-1 drumming by Alex Griffin over then-No. 11 Alexander Richardson of Old Dominion at the Journeymen/ASICS Northeast Duals marks the highest ranked opponent a Boilermaker has beaten.
- Only two Purdue wrestlers have been upset when they were listed by InterMat and both losses came to an unranked opponent.
- Polls monitored, a complete list of recognized Boilermakers and their movement the past two weeks can be found in dual notes.