Illinois @ Nebraska

Nebraska knocked off Illinois 29-9 on February 4, 2024, at the University of Nebraska in Lincoln. The Cornhuskers built a decisive advantage through bonus-point victories that swung the dual well in their favor and left Illinois with limited opportunities to respond.

Nebraska’s offense was led by four bonus wins that accounted for 20 team points. At 141 pounds Brock Hardy pinned Danny Pucino for six team points, and at 197 pounds Silas Allred added another fall for six more. In between, Peyton Robb put up a 10-1 major decision over Joseph Roberts at 157 pounds, and Lenny Pinto scored a major decision, 18-6, against Dylan Connell at 184 pounds. Those two majors and two pins turned into the bulk of Nebraska’s scoring and were the difference in the 20-point margin.

The sequence of bonus outcomes created a mid-dual surge that put the Cornhuskers comfortably ahead and effectively decided the meet. Nebraska’s ability to convert in the high-impact bouts — two pins and two majors — left Illinois scrambling for bonus answers, and Nebraska closed out a comprehensive 29-9 victory in Lincoln.