Purdue @ Rider

Purdue topped Rider 24-6 in a dual at Rider University in Lawrenceville, N.J., on Jan. 2, 2026. The Boilermakers built a comfortable margin across the card and held Rider to just six team points in a meeting between Big Ten and MAC competition.

The night’s most notable result came at 197 pounds, where Purdue’s Ben Vanadia, ranked #29, upset Rider’s #21 Brock Zurawski with an 8-3 decision. Vanadia’s victory earned Purdue three team points and swung a key ranked matchup in Purdue’s favor, denying Rider a win in one of the higher-profile slots on the sheet.

There are no recorded bonus-point wins among the highlighted contests, so the dual was decided in large part by decisions and control in those featured bouts. With Vanadia’s upset as the marquee result, Purdue was able to accumulate the winning margin without needing a pin, tech fall, or major in the noted matches. Rider’s top-ranked slot at 197 folded to the lower-ranked challenger, and that shift helped keep Rider’s scoring limited.

Against a conference opponent away from home, Purdue’s ability to pick up decisions in important spots carried the day. Vanadia’s performance at 197 will be the headline from this meeting, while Rider will look to rebound in upcoming MAC play after falling 24-6 on their home mat.