Minnesota @ Nebraska

Nebraska topped Minnesota 21-13 at the University of Nebraska in Lincoln on January 11, 2025, holding off a late barrage of bonus-point victories by the visitors to secure the dual win.

Minnesota’s offense came almost entirely from three big bouts. At 184 pounds Max McEnelly notched a 16-6 major decision for four team points, and at 197 Isaiah Salazar added an 8-0 major decision for another four. The headline moment was heavyweight Gable Steveson’s 19-4 technical fall, a five-point swing that gave Minnesota a trio of bonus results and accounted for 13 team points in total.

Those three bonus wins kept the dual close, but Nebraska accumulated the remaining points across the other weight classes to reach 21. The Cornhuskers’ depth and steady scoring in the non-bonus bouts proved decisive, as Minnesota’s trio of majors and a tech fall were not enough to overcome Nebraska’s collection of victories.

In the end the difference was Nebraska’s ability to secure the needed match wins outside the bouts highlighted by Minnesota’s bonus scoring. The result leaves Nebraska with a narrow eight-point margin and gives Minnesota a clear set of positives to build on from the three high-value individual performances.