Penn State @ Iowa

Penn State topped Iowa 32-3 at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City on January 16, 2026. The Nittany Lions built a decisive lead thanks to multiple bonus-point victories and a couple of tight, high-profile decisions that swung the dual firmly in their favor.

The biggest swing came from Penn State’s bonus work. #1 Shayne Van Ness earned a major decision, 13-4, over #10 Ryder Block for four team points, and #1 Mitchell Mesenbrink followed with an 11-2 major over #3 Michael Caliendo for another four. Later in the lineup Josh Barr sealed the outcome with a fall, recording six team points and effectively putting the dual out of reach for Iowa.

Penn State also picked up key decisions in top matchups. #2 Luke Lilledahl beat #7 Dean Peterson 11-5 and #6 Marcus Blaze held off #11 Drake Ayala 4-2, each worth three team points. On the upset front, Rocco Welsh at 184 pulled a narrow 2-1 decision over #1 Angelo Ferrari, a result that removed a potential chance for Iowa to shift momentum late in the card.

The combination of Penn State’s majors and the late pin produced the scoring run that decided the meet. Tight decision wins and the bonus points left Iowa with just a single decision on the board, while Penn State’s depth and a few high-leverage wins produced the 29-point margin.