Purdue @ Rutgers

Rutgers defeated Purdue 24-9 at the Scarlet Knights in Piscataway, NJ on January 18, 2026. The Scarlet Knights pulled away thanks to multiple bonus-point wins, while Purdue picked up a pair of notable ranked upsets that kept the dual competitive on the scoreboard.

The deciding stretch was Rutgers’ trio of major decisions. Andrew Barbosa, ranked #26 for Rutgers, rolled to a 17-6 major decision at 165 pounds, earning four team points. Remy Cotton, the Scarlet Knights’ #16 at 197, followed with an 11-3 major decision over Purdue’s #21 Ben Vanadia for another four points. At heavyweight, #19 Hunter Catka closed out one of the biggest margin plays of the night with an 11-2 major decision over Hayden Filipovich (#28), sealing the bonus-point cushion Rutgers needed.

Purdue had its moments. Blake Boarman, listed at #28, scored a 4-1 decision over Rutgers’ #25 Dylan Shawver at 133 pounds, and Brody Baumann, ranked #22, edged #10 Lenny Pinto 5-4 at 174 in a tight upset. Those wins were important, but the Boilermakers couldn’t match Rutgers’ string of majors, and the three bonus-point victories ultimately decided the dual.

In the end Rutgers’ ability to convert key matches into extra team points made the difference in Piscataway, and Purdue’s two ranked scalps were not enough to overcome that margin.