Buffalo @ Northern Illinois

Northern Illinois topped Buffalo 28-8 in DeKalb, Ill., on Feb. 7, 2025, taking a 20-point dual meet decision in the MAC. The Panthers piled up bonus points in multiple weight classes, which proved decisive in the final tally.

Northern Illinois ripped off three bonus victories that accounted for a large share of the team total. At 125 pounds, Blake West blanked Max Elton 12-0 for a major decision. Markel Baker followed with a dominant 21-6 technical fall at 133 pounds, and Jacob Brya added another major decision at 141 with a 10-1 result. Those three bonus wins gave Northern Illinois a clear scoring edge and swung the dual firmly in their favor.

Buffalo’s biggest response came at 184 pounds, where Marcus Petite earned a 21-2 technical fall over Austin Stewart to pick up five team points and keep Buffalo on the board with their lone bonus. That win highlighted Buffalo’s competitiveness in select matchups, but it was not enough to overcome Northern Illinois’ run of extra-point finishes.

In the end, Northern Illinois’ ability to convert matches into majors and a tech fall created the margin of victory. The Panthers’ bonus-point production, combined with other decisions across the lineup, produced the 28-8 final in DeKalb.