Penn State @ Nebraska

Penn State defeated Nebraska 31-7 in Lincoln on January 17, 2025, handing the Cornhuskers a tough Big Ten night at the University of Nebraska. The Nittany Lions collected a string of bonus-point victories that ultimately decided the dual, turning individual offensive performances into a decisive team margin.

The bulk of Penn State’s scoring came from bonus wins across the middle and heavyweight weights. Mitchell Mesenbrink posted a 20-3 technical fall at 165 pounds, Carter Starocci followed with an 11-2 major decision at 184, and Josh Barr produced a 19-4 technical fall at 197. Greg Kerkvliet closed things out with a 20-2 technical fall at 285, giving Penn State three technical falls and a major among the highlights.

Nebraska’s Ridge Lovett delivered a strong showing at 149 pounds, defeating Shayne Van Ness 10-2 by major decision, one of the few moments the Cornhuskers picked up bonus points in the featured slate. Lovett’s result stood out in an otherwise Penn State-dominated lineup of key matchups.

The turning point was clear: Penn State’s sequence of bonus-point victories from the mid-weights through heavyweight built an insurmountable lead. Those big wins, not close decisions, created the gap that finished at a 24-point margin and left Penn State with a comfortable road victory in Lincoln.