Live Updates: #1 Penn State vs #14 Rutgers 2025

The undefeated #1 ranked Nittany Lions of Penn State are in Jersey to wrestle the #14 Rutgers Scarlet Knights. Penn State will be very large favorites, as they will be all year in all their dual meets and in the NCAA Championships in the team title race. 

But there will be some great matchups in Jersey Mike’s Arena on Rutgers’ Livingston campus in Piscataway, NJ. Plus any opportunity to witness a historically great team like the 2024-25 Nittany Lions is one worth taking advantage of!

The first bout is scheduled to take place at 8:00 PM ET and will be broadcast on the Big Ten Network. And if you can’t watch the broadcast, no worries,  we’ll be providing updates of the dual right here in real-time! 

The updates/live-blog also works great as a recap if you want to catch up on what you missed or refresh your memory after the event ends. 

Projected Lineups

125: #6 Luke Lilledahl (10-0), Penn State vs #15 Dean Peterson (14-3) or Ayden Smith (4-4), Rutgers

133: #7 Braeden Davis (6-2), Penn State vs #9 Dylan Shawver (14-3), Rutgers

141: #3 Beau Bartlett (11-0), Penn State vs #13 Joseph Olivieri (12-3) or Joe Fongaro (4-4), Rutgers

149: #3 Shayne Van Ness (10-1), Penn State vs #24 Andrew Clark (17-7), Rutgers

157: #3 Tyler Kasak (10-0) or Alex Facundo (5-0), Penn State vs Conner Harer (12-5), Rutgers

165: #1 Mitchell Mesenbrink (12-0), Penn State vs #26 Anthony White (12-5) or Andrew Barbosa (5-3), Rutgers

174: #2 Levi Haines (10-1), Penn State vs #23 Jackson Turley (12-5), Rutgers

184: #1 Carter Starocci (11-0), Penn State vs #19 Shane Cartagena-Walsh (17-5), Rutgers

197: #4 Josh Barr (9-0) or Lucas Cochran (4-0), Penn State vs #17 John Poznanski (11-4) or PJ Casale (7-8), Rutgers

285: #2 Greg Kerkvliet (11-0), Penn State vs #8 Yaraslau Slavikouski (12-3) or John O’Donnell (7-3), Rutgers

As it’s a home dual for Rutgers, they’ll have a few more options at several weights, whereas Penn State as the away squad with limited backups. There’s a potential for nine ranked matchups tonight (and Conner Harer is right on the bubble at 157) and I think we’ll see most, if not all, of them!

We’re getting started shortly, or maybe have already started, we’re just waiting for BTN to flip over the dual once the Michigan vs Nebraska dual is over. 

Nebraska finished their route of the Wolverines with a pinfall at 125 so we should be good to go very soon!

1st period: And away we go! Lilledahl continues his true freshman campaign with another tough test. No scores nor many attacks half way through the first. Down to short time and still nothing much going on. And the period ends no scores, and no stalls, as tied as you can possibly be. 

2nd period: Peterson goes underneath first. He sits out and is free in seconds. Barely seconds, literally :02 on the RT clock for Lilledahl. Then more handfighting. Circling and probing but not many level changes. And we’ll got to the third, Peterson with a 1-0 lead. 

3rd period: Peterson with an opportunity to ride out for the win. He stops Lilledahl’s first escape attempt but Lilledahl resets and stands to escape on his next opportunity. All tied up 1-1. Lilledahl taking a little bit more ground. Sweep single attempt, and another, both by Luke, but Dean evades. 30 seconds left in regulation. Shot by Peterson, he’s got a leg, Lilledahl rolls through, Peterson says on a leg, grabs the other, and there’s the three! Huge takedown for Dean Pete. 17 seconds left and they’ll get a restart. Lilledahl stands, he can’t shake Peterson, and Peterson hands Lilledahl the first loss of his collegiate career! 

125: Dean Peterson, Rutgers over #6 Luke Lilledahl, Penn State 4-1 (Dec)

Rutgers 3, Penn State 0

Now that’s how you work the crowd, Dean!

Watch on @BigTenNetwork #RelentlessPursuit | #GoRU pic.twitter.com/RFNNL752vw

— Rutgers Wrestling (@RUWrestling) January 25, 2025

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133: #7 Braeden Davis, Penn State vs #9 Dylan Shawver, Rutgers

1st period: Another great matchup, this time between two top 10 wrestlers. Shawver trying to hand Davis the second consecutive loss as he dropped a bout to Van Dee of Nebraska yesterday. Shawver is on a three dual win streak. This bout goes a lot like the one before it. No actions or flurries after two minutes. Shawver strikes in short time. He’s in deep but Davis defends and there’s the buzzer. 0-0, no stalls after 3 minutes. 

2nd period: Shawver takes bottom. Shawver up to his feet, Davis struggling to bring him to the mat. Crowd and RU coaches want a stall call but they go out of bounds, no call. A few attempts by Shawver that Davis follows. He’s got over a minute of riding. Shawver stands, and now Davis hit with a stall. They go out of bounds in rear standing. Back to referee’s position. Roll attempt by Shawver is followed by Davis. Shawver to his feet. Davis can’t bring him down and another stall call. He maintains control though and he gets the ride out. 1-0 for Shawver though Davis has 2 minutes of riding time. 

2nd period: Davis gets a tun underneath. Davis stands. Davis turns into Shawver, close to a reversal, but Shawver gets free and Davis picks up the escape. Riding time will likely get locked up soon. Shawver effectively losing. Davis on a shot, he’s got Shawver’s leg. No takedown yet but it’s chewing up a ton of clock. Shawver scrambling, and potentially dangerous is called with 3 seconds left. Davis will defend as the clock ticks away and he will win 2-1! 

133: Braeden Davis, Penn State over Dylan Shawver, Rutgers 2-1 (Dec)

Rutgers 3, Penn State 3

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1st period: We got the Rizzler in the house and ‘BOOM’ t-shirts in the crowd. I’ll learn what all that means later. Now we’ve got Beau and Joey! Bartlett with a leg attack early and the first points are scored, the first of the first period so far in the dual! Quick escape from Olivieri makes it 3-1 in favor of Bartlett. The period ends with no more scores.

2nd period: Olivieri back underneath. He’s out quickly and it’s 3-2 still for Bartlett. About a minute into the period Bartlett strikes again, in on a single, and Olivieri makes him work for it but Beau finishes for three more and it’s 6-2. Bartlett trying to ride tough but a great hip heist as they go out of bounds and Olivieri makes it 6-3 before the period ends. On to the third. 

3rd period: Bartlett tries out bottom. And he stands and escapes quickly to run the score up to 7-3. One minute left in regulation, can Olivieri find a way through Bartlett’s defenses? Beau continuing with his ‘one shoe blue, one shoe white’ look this season. Olivieri in deep but Bartlett parries him away, then goes in on a shot and has Olivieri in the air but time runs out before anyone can score. Bartlett with another win!

141: Beau Bartlett, Penn State over Joseph Olivieri 7-3 (Dec)

Penn State 6, Rutgers 3

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149: #3 Shayne Van Ness, Penn State vs Alex Nini, Rutgers

1st period: Rutgers calls an audible and puts true freshman Alex Nini out to face Van Ness, who is looking to bounce back after getting majored by Lovett last week. About a minute in Van Ness finds his way to Nini’s legs and there’s the first points. Nini escapes but Van Ness is back on the attack before Nini can ready himself and it’s 6-1 in a hurry. And Van Ness puts on a punishing ride for the next two minutes. No turns but 1:56 of RT and a 6-1 lead for SVN. 

2nd period: Van Ness takes bottom, and he’s out quickly to make it 7-1. Nini on the attack now and he’s in deep on Van Ness’ legs. Great scramble, Nini making Van Ness work but never really had him in danger. Stalemated. Under a minute to go in the second. Now Van Ness back on the attack and he’ll get the takedown. Transition right into a leg turk and chancellor grip and there’s four nearfall for SVN before time runs out. 14-1 Shayne Van Ness and a bonus points are all but assured. 

3rd period: Nini takes down and Van Ness cuts him immediately. Shot from Nini, down block go behind for Van Ness and it’s a tech-fall for Van Ness 17-2!

149: Shayne Van Ness, Penn State over Alex Nini, Rutgers 17-2 (TF)

Penn State 11, Rutgers 3

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1st period: