Rider @ Illinois

Illinois beat Rider 24-13 in Champaign on November 8, 2025, picking up a Big Ten win over the MAC visitors. The match came down to a few high-value results rather than a long string of decisions, with Illinois collecting the bonus points that ultimately separated the teams.

A decisive stretch for the home side came from two ranked upperweights. Kannon Webster, ranked #8, posted a 9-1 major decision at 157 to earn four team points, and #9 Braeden Scoles delivered a 23-8 technical fall at 165 for five more. Those bonus-point victories created a gap Illinois could hold onto for the rest of the night.

Rider fought back in bursts. Dylan Layton notched a fall at 149, a six-point swing that kept Rider within reach, and Tyler Klinsky pulled off an upset at 125, as the #26 freshman scored a 6-3 decision over #13 Spencer Moore. Those performances, along with other strong bouts, pushed Rider to 13 team points but were not enough to overtake Illinois.

Ranked matchups mattered in the scoring, and Illinois’ ability to convert two ranked wrestlers into bonus wins proved pivotal. The Illini got the extra margins they needed in the middle weights and held off Rider’s key results down the card, finishing with the 11-point margin.