Huskers Claim Season Opener Over UVU, 32-7

The No. 3 Nebraska wrestling team took the victory to open the 2024-25 season, defeating the Utah Valley Wolverines, 32-7. Eight Huskers won their bouts in front of 3,255 fans at the Devaney Sports Center on Friday night, starting the season off strong, and ending the match with a pin from senior Ridge Lovett.

The Huskers remained undefeated all-time against the Wolverines, as they used five bonus-point victories to start the season 1-0, while Utah Valley fell to 1-2. 

The dual started at 157 pounds. No. 4 Antrell Taylor met Utah Valley’s Ryker Fullmer. Taylor came out firing and scored six takedowns to claim the 20-4 second period tech. fall, his third career five-point victory. With the 5-0 team lead, No. 20 Bubba Wilson wrestled Penn State-transfer No. 6 Terrell Barraclough at 165. Wilson battled, but Barraclough controlled and earned the 8-0 major decision. 

In his first Husker match at 174 pounds, No. 9 Lenny Pinto faced Mark Takara, getting the Huskers back on track with his fifth-career tech. fall. Pinto used six takedowns and two nearfall points to push the overall Husker lead to 10-4. Then at 184, No. 9 Silas Allred, also making the cut in the offseason, wrestled Caleb Uhlenhopp. Allred scored a takedown in the first and third periods to claim the 11-7 decision. 

At 197, No. 33 Camden McDanel made his Husker debut with a hard-fought 8-3 victory over Kael Bennie. The freshman tallied two takedowns and an escape to secure the 8-3 decision and the 16-4 team lead. After a brief intermission, No. 29 Harley Andrews wrestled Jack Forbes at heavyweight. Andrews earned an escape and a reversal but was unable to score the dual-winning takedown and fell by decision, 5-4.

In the seventh match of the night, No. 3 Caleb Smith met Bridger Ricks at 125. Smith took an early lead after a takedown and escape, but Ricks battled, and the two ended regulation tied 5-5. In overtime, Smith scored the takedown for the 8-5 decision and his 85th career victory. 

With the 19-7 team lead, No. 13 Jake Van Dee wrestled Kase Mauger at 133. Van Dee used three takedowns and two nearfall points to secure the 13-1 major decision, his ninth-career bonus-point victory. No. 4 Brock Hardy met No. 27 Haiden Drury in the dual’s second ranked matchup. Hardy recorded an escape and two nearfalls points en route to the 4-0 shutout decision. 

In the last bout of the night, No. 5 Lovett met former Husker Tanner Frothinger at 149 and in the first period, secured his 15th career pin, good for six points and the 32-7 Husker win. 

Up next, the Big Red head to North Carolina to face Campbell and No. 24 North Carolina on Friday, Nov. 15. The Huskers will take on the Camels at 3:30 p.m. (CT) at the Jim Perry Stadium in Buies Creek, N.C. The dual will be streamed on UFC Fight Pass. Following the Campbell dual, NU will travel to Chapel Hill, set to begin bouts at 6:30 p.m. (CT).

No. 4 Nebraska 32, Utah Valley 7
157: No. 4 Antrell Taylor tech. fall Ryker Fullmer (UVU) 20-4 4:41 (NEB 5, UVU 0)
165: No. 6 Terrell Barraclough (UVU) major dec. No. 20 Bubba Wilson 8-0 (NEB 5, UVU 4)
174: No. 9 Lenny Pinto tech. fall Mark Takara (UVU) 23-6 5:58 (NEB 10, UVU 4)
184: No. 9 Silas Allred dec. Caleb Uhlenhopp (UVU) 11-7 (NEB 13, UVU 4)
197: No. 33 Camden McDanel dec. Kael Bennie (UVU) 8-3 (NEB 16, UVU 4)
HWT: Jack Forbes (UVU) dec. No. 29 Harley Andrews 5-4 (NEB 16, UVU 7)
125: No. 3 Caleb Smith dec. Bridger Ricks (UVU) 8-5 SV-1 (NEB 19, UVU 7)
133: No. 13 Jake Van Dee major dec. Kase Mauger (UVU) 13-1 (NEB 23, UVU 7)
141: No. 4 Brock Hardy dec. No. 27 Haiden Drury (UVU) 4-0 (NEB 26, UVU 7)
149: No. 5 Ridge Lovett pinned Tanner Frothinger (UVU) 1:26 (NEB 32, UVU 7)