Wyoming upsets No. 10 South Dakota State 24-18 in Laramie
A 15-0 technical fall, an overtime pin and a late major decision provided the bonus points Wyoming needed to upset the Jackrabbits in a Big 12 dual.
LARAMIE, Wyo. — Wyoming beat No. 10 South Dakota State 24-18 on Jan. 18, using multiple bonus-point wins to turn a tight dual in its favor.
No. 28 Luke Willochell opened the decisive sequence at 133, scoring a takedown and three four-point nearfalls to complete a 15-0 technical fall in the first period that produced a five-point swing for the Cowboys.
Wyoming extended its bonus output in the middle weights when No. 24 Jared Hill pinned No. 22 Cael Swensen in sudden-victory overtime at 157. Regulation ended 1-1; Hill scored a sudden-victory takedown in OT and the result is recorded as a fall that gave Wyoming the lead heading into the break.
South Dakota State answered with a major result at 197. No. 5 Bennett Berge built a 10-1 lead with takedowns and a four-point nearfall before pinning Gunner Henry, a fall that kept the Jackrabbits within reach late in the dual.
Wyoming regained separation in the closing sequence. No. 9 Christian Carroll used five takedowns and a +1 to post a 16-4 major decision at 285 over No. 27 Luke Rasmussen, the major-decision victory supplying crucial bonus points that helped seal the meet.
South Dakota State had taken an early advantage. No. 20 Brady Roark opened the dual with a 4-0 decision at 125, scoring a third-period reversal, a stalling penalty against Sefton Douglass and a riding-time point. No. 22 Julian Tagg replied at 141 with a pin of Wyoming’s John Alden to keep the Jackrabbits in contention.
Wyoming’s middle weights supplied additional momentum. No. 22 Gabe Willochell beat Colin Dupill 9-2 at 149, and Sloan Swan produced a late third-period takedown to defeat Marcus Espinoza-Owens 4-1 at 165; Marcus Espinoza-Owens is ranked No. 31 at 165.
Home coverage and local outlets framed Hill’s OT pin as the turning moment that energized the Cowboys and swung momentum into their favor. University and regional reports also noted the upset nature of the result, with Wyoming topping a top-10 opponent on its home mat.
Bonus scoring ultimately decided the dual: Wyoming’s technical fall, overtime pin and late major supplied the extra team points that overcame South Dakota State’s top-five fall at 197 and produced the 24-18 final.