Purdue @ Northern Illinois

Purdue knocked off Northern Illinois 29-8 in DeKalb on January 12, 2025, in a dual that came down to bonus points. The Huskies picked up a big five-point result at 157 pounds, but Purdue piled up the extra team points that decided the meet.

Landen Johnson’s 18-1 technical fall at 157 gave Northern Illinois a huge individual margin and kept the dual competitive, but NIU could not match Purdue’s run of high-scoring decisions. Johnson’s effort was the clear offensive highlight for the Huskies on the day.

Purdue collected four bonus-point victories that swung the scoreboard. Isaac Ruble recorded a 14-3 major decision at 149, Orlando Cruz put up a 22-5 technical fall at 184, and Ben Vanadia added a 12-4 major decision at 197. Those bonus wins, along with Brody Baumann’s 19-9 major at 174, supplied the bulk of Purdue’s point total and separated the teams.

When the mat sessions ended, Purdue’s string of techs and majors left Northern Illinois with too much ground to make up. The final 29-8 margin reflected Purdue’s ability to turn several matches into bonus-point finishes and close out the dual in DeKalb.