Penn State shuts out Northwestern, 51-0
Nittany Lions collected nine bonus-point wins and a forfeit in Evanston, powered by technical falls and pins from multiple top-ranked starters.
EVANSTON, Ill. — Penn State blanked Northwestern 51-0 on Jan. 18, picking up nine bonus-point victories and a forfeit in a one-sided Big Ten dual.
No. 1 Levi Haines opened the scoring at 174 with a 19-4 technical fall, and No. 4 Rocco Welsh followed with a 22-7 technical fall at 184. Welsh’s third-period takedown with 1:36 remaining produced the 15-point margin that ended that bout on a technical fall.
No. 1 Josh Barr recorded a first-period takedown and finished the 197-pound match by fall. Cole Mirasola, listed in the rankings at No. 12 at 285, closed the first half with a 19-4 technical fall.
The second half featured more bonus scoring. No. 2 Luke Lilledahl won by technical fall, 20-5, at 125 after adding a late takedown and accruing riding time to reach the margin. Marcus Blaze produced a 15-4 major decision at 133, and No. 8 Braeden Davis posted a 9-0 major at 141.
No. 1 Shayne Van Ness recorded an 18-3 technical fall at 149, and PJ Duke ended his 157-pound bout by fall. Mitchell Mesenbrink was awarded a win by forfeit at 165, which completed the 51-0 team score.
Penn State converted takedowns into bonus points across the lineup, winning nine of 10 contested bouts by tech fall, major decision or fall and receiving the unopposed decision at 165.
The Wildcats did not record a victory as Penn State’s cadre of ranked starters supplied the bulk of the scoring. The shutout reflected a sustained bonus-point edge from the Nittany Lions on the road in Evanston.