ILLINI/Stupid Northwestern Dual Recap

PRELIMINARIES

The meet started out at 133, which is good and bad for the ILLINI. I think that Chris Cannon is quite a bit bigger than Lucas Byrd, so that might be advantage ILLINI. However, I think that Michael DeAugustino is way bigger than Justin Cardani, so that might be advantage Mildcats. He will have plenty of time to rehydrate. The ILLINI are without their usual starting 197, so the team goes with super-sub Nikita Nepomnyashchiy. 

The dual took place at the Assembly Hall (State Farm Center) covered by BTN. Because I don't get BTN in South Carolina--that service is not offered underneath the overpass where I live--I had to wait until BTN+ carried the rebroadcast. Of course, the best news for the ILLINI was the return of All American Dylan Duncan to the lineup. 

Northwestern's lineup included a backup, but that was at a weight where the ILLINI, Zac Braunagel, was predicted to win by major anyway. Starting out at 133 also could be good to get the momentum for the ILLINI: Beat their All American right off the bat, and then let your second AA do damage. 

LUCAS BYRD vs. CHRIS CANNON.  The ILLINI went to his offense early with a slick shrug-by that led to this position:

That's a good position to be in. 

Cannon tried to fight off the takedown, but the ILLINI uses a wily trick to secure it. He gets his leg over the Wildcat's and uses his knee to pin his opponent's leg to the ground, allowing him to scoot around for two! 

After an escape by Cannon, he tries a short arm drag, but Lucas is in great position, and he keeps circling around until he basically hits a duck-under for the takedown. Here's that sequence with IRTC's Joe Rau (now a Northwestern assistant) looking on:

That arm/shoulder drag probably works on 90% of wrestlers in the Big Ten and even against Tunisia or Great Britain when Cannon is in the World Championships, but against Byrd it turns into this:

That's magic. Some kind of weird voodoo. He's a natural. Moreover, it was so quick, it was almost impossible to get a still frame of the duckunder. I can't wait for RBY! 

In the third period, Lucas converts an ankle pick for another takedown. The match ends with an ILLINI victory 8-2, which includes a riding point for an extra 1:45 of aggregate top wrestling for Lucas. In three matches with the kid who's becoming legend, Cannon has managed 0 takedowns. 

DYLAN DUNCAN vs. FRANKIE TAL-SHAHAR.  Welcome back Dylan Duncan! In the first period the ILLINI switches from a single to a double very smoothly and converts the takedown. This is very, very bad news for the Mildcat because Duncan has become an absolute pro at riding and turning. 

Duncan ends the first period on top with over a minute of riding time. 

Dylan escapes in the second period. He still has almost a minute of riding time. Then, he runs a polished single that ends up with Tal-Shahar draped over his shoulders ...

Dylan Duncan has this position all figured out. Check the time showing on the image above. It shows :26 remaining in the second. The ILLINI accomplished quite a lot in the next five seconds (see image below):

Not only has Dylan secured the takedown, but he's threatening back points! Most wrestlers converting a takedown--and I was one of them--look like me changing a tire on a car. Forty minutes later, dirty, grimy, having said or thought a hundred curse words, the job is mostly done. Dylan is the guy at Goodyear who gets your car off the rack in five minutes. You don't even get to eat any of that delicious hard candy before he's done. 

Duncan rides out to the end of the second period. 

At the beginning of the third, Tal-Shahar gets a reversal when Dylan slips, but that doesn't last long, as you can see in this series of still images from the match:

The Mildcat's small victory is short. Short indeed! Check it out:

It ends 9-2, including a riding time point for more than two minutes on top. The ILLINI was very close to a turn at the end there. Dylan pops his singlet to show the "ILLINI" after the hand-raising. He looks bigger this year in the shoulders and biceps. Watch out, NCAA! Jake Bergeland of Minnesota and Chad Red of Nebraska beat Tal-Shahar by two points; Duncan beat him by seven. 

CHRISTIAN KANZLER vs. YAHYA THOMAS. It's nice to see that Kanzler is not wearing a knee brace or wrap. It's less nice to see Christian getting balled up with a cross-face to a cradle and giving up the fall. That's six points for the bad guys. I can't remember the last time I saw a first-period cross-face to a cradle involving college wrestlers. 

JOE ROBERTS vs. RYAN DEAKIN.  Again, Joe has to fight off his back during the first few seconds of a first period. I understand that Deakin is powerful and awfully good, but, making a habit of fighting off your back in the first period is not optimal. 

Give Joe some credit: He fought off his back three times in the first period, giving up 2:46 in riding time. Probably a minute and a half of that was with him on his back. In the second period with the score 0-14, the ref calls a second stall on the ILLINI. The mercy rule. 

DANNY BRAUNAGEL vs. DAVID FERRANTE.  The Mildcat actually looks smaller than last year. I'm afraid he may be on the "Mologousis Diet." Danny shoots in a single, ...

Ferrante escapes and gets a blood timeout. I think timeouts favor him. On the restart, the Mildcat tries a cement mixer and puts himself on his back. He only gives up a takedown, though. 

After another escape, Brawny gets a third takedown in the first period. This one a single reattack after a shot by Stupid Northwestern. See below:

Brawny smartly keeps Ferrante's legs crossed on the finish, throws in his own leg turk and, bingo, we end the first period 10-2 good guys:

In the third, after an escape, the Brawlnagel wants more, so he shoots another single, again switches to the double, and scores another takedown. Danny's leading 13-3 with over a minute riding time. There's a minute to go in the match. And that's how it ends, 14-3, a major decision. 

Shane Sparks misspeaks when he says Danny is 4-2 in Big Ten duals. He will be soon the way he's wrestling now. He's 4-2 overall in duals this season. After the ceremonial hand-raising, he also "pops his singlet." 

DJ SHANNON vs. TROY FISHER.  No score in the first period. Fisher starts on top in the second, but DJ escapes in about :20. Then, an official's timeout because riding time is wrong. Another breather for a weary Mildcat! Still another breather for Fisher while the refs ruthlessly take away a takedown earned by Shannon. 

That was ******* ********! 

And then the ref gives an imaginary takedown to Fisher with three seconds to go in the second.

That was also ******* ********! 

Still, the ILLINI shouldn't'a given up on that whizzer with short time left. He did reach a scramble position, but that whizzer would have lasted to the end of the period. 

The imaginary takedown gifted, and the real takedown stolen, were the difference in a 3-1 match. I think DJ could've worn him out if he wanted to, but there were too many stoppages. Also, the kid in the Orange and Blue had at least one duck-under in the first period that all he had to do was to fall forward, and he would've scored. 

TO BE CONTINUED ...