No. 3 Missouri wrestling defeated Northern Colorado 38-3 in its first home opener since joining the Big 12 Conference. The dual meet was the first between the two programs.
The Tigers went 9-1 in the matches against Northern Colorado, who went 4-2 last season. Missouri continues to make an impact in the conference as they defeat top Big 12 conference competitors.
After losing his match on Nov. 11 against North Dakota State, 157-pound junior Jarrett Jacques bounced back to defeat Northern Colorado sophomore Nathan Moore 20-7. In the first period, Jacques scored two takedowns and a 4-point near-fall. He held the lead through the second period as the Hearnes Center roared to life. Jacques began to slow down in the third period, seeming to have used all his energy in the first two periods. However, he netted two more takedowns for a double-digit win over Moore.
After Jacques’ win, at 165 pounds, freshman Keegan O’Toole started his match against Northern Colorado graduate Nick Knutson with a takedown. In the second period, he scored a takedown, reversal and earned a pin to win the match at 4:42. The win marked O’Toole’s second pinfall victory in his second match this season.
At 174 pounds, redshirt sophomore Peyton Mocco defeated Northern Colorado freshman Cody Eaton 19-7. Mocco had the crowd on their feet, as he finished the second period 15-5 after gaining control of the match with four near-falls in the first two periods. Mocco finished his match with two takedowns and kept Eaton from making any movement to defeat him.
The one loss of the day was from 141-pound redshirt junior Allan Hart, when he fell to Northern Colorado sophomore Andrew Alirez 3-1. Both wrestlers looked for a way to gain an advantage during their match, as the official warned Alirez for stalling early in the second period. Eventually, Alirez earned a takedown as Hart struggled to maintain his hold.
Despite the overall win, Missouri struggled to execute and follow through in their moves on their opponents. Throughout the meet, the Tigers were close to stalling out or were moving without striking or attempting a move. For them to continue progressing in the conference, they have to read movements and find open strike zones.
“Our upper weights are pinners,” Missouri head coach Brian Smith said in the post-game press release. “They have that mentality. I know if our light weights can start gaining that confidence, I know at the end of the year we’re going to be a lot better than we are now.”
Missouri will stay home for their next conference matchup against Air Force on Nov. 19 at 7 p.m.
Edited by Mason Arneson | marneson@themaneater.com
