By James Kratch | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
No. 16-ranked Rutgers will begin a brutal six-match stretch against fellow nationally-ranked Big Ten programs Sunday when it faces No. 18 Nebraska at the Devaney Center in Lincoln, Nebraska.
The dual meet begins at 2 p.m. Eastern and can be seen on BTN Plus or FloWrestling with a subscription.
Rutgers is 5-3 overall and 1-2 in the Big Ten. Nebraska is also 5-3 overall and boasts a 3-1 conference record. The Scarlet Knights, who thumped Hofstra at home, 37-9, on Friday night, are seeking their first true road match win of the season (they are 0-1). The Cornhuskers edged No. 20 Northwestern on the road, 19-18 on criteria, on Friday. They are 3-2 at home.
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John Munson | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
"There's adversity right now. We've got to wake up really early. We've got to jump on a plane. We've got to get to Lincoln, who knows what the weather is out there. We've got to train, we've got to get our weight off, and then we've got to face a really good squad," Goodale said after Rutgers hammered Hofstra at the Rutgers Athletics Center in Piscataway.
"That's Big Ten wrestling. And you've got to face it, and embrace that adversity. No feeling sorry for yourself. That's the challenge for us right now. And the guys who feel sorry for themselves ultimately won't be successful.”
Below is a bout-by-bout preview for the dual meet, as well as a prediction. All rankings are via Intermat, and all common opponent records are via WrestleStat.
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John Munson | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
125 POUNDS: Nick Suriano (R) vs. Mitchell Maginnis (N)
Rankings: Suriano No. 2; Maginnis unranked.
Records: Suriano 17-0; Maginnis 15-8.
Common opponents: Suriano 5-0; Maginnis 1-4.
Outlook: Suriano is heavily favored here. It could end up being an important bout in the dual meet if Maginnis can hold Suriano to a major decision. One of the reasons why the Scarlet Knights needed criteria to beat North Carolina last week was UNC 125-pounder James Szymanski’s ability to save a team point by keeping Suriano from a technical fall win.
133 POUNDS: Scott DelVecchio (R) vs. Jason Renteria (N)
Rankings: DelVecchio No. 17; Renteria unranked.
Records: DelVecchio 12-2; Renteria 2-0.
Common opponents: DelVecchio 2-0; Renteria 2-0.
Outlook: Renteria, a freshman, went at 133 pounds against Northwestern on Friday night and will likely get the nod here. Brian Peska could also be a possibility for Nebraska. Either way, DelVecchio should be favored. Renteria, a heralded recruit who was committed to Iowa at one point, could make things interesting.
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John Munson | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
141 POUNDS: Mike VanBrill (R) vs. Chad Red (N)
Rankings: VanBrill unranked; Red No. 9.
Records: VanBrill 11-6; Red 13-6.
Common opponents: VanBrill 2-2; Red 3-0.
Outlook: VanBrill had a big win over North Carolina’s ranked AC Headlee last week, but this will be a bit of a step up in class. VanBrill is wrestling well of late and definitely has a shot, but Red will be favored.