PREVIEW: ILLINI Wrestling vs. Purdue

WHAT: ILLINI dual Purdue

WHEN: Saturday, February 1 at 2:00 pm Central

WHERE: Huff Hall

ADMISSION: Free

SPECIAL: Military Appreciation Day

TV/STREAMING: BTN+ (subscription service)

A DAY IN HISTORY

It is February 16, 2024. 

You are almost stuck at home babysitting little brother, but Tomb Raider Remastered just came out, and you know that he and his salacious little weasel friends will be locked up in his room for 48 hours playing the game. 

Wendy suggested that you go with her to see Madame Web or Lisa Frankenstein. You told her [cough, cough] that you were sick. That's because you and the boys have planned a road trip to West Lafayette. 

Beyoncé's Texas Hold'Em is playing on the radio preset when you start the car, at least until you almost break your finger turning it off. Cheesy Burrito, your high school team's heavyweight, brought the new Ye piece, and he plugs it in. 

You're worried.

You know this is a bruised and battered bunch of ILLINI taking the mat against Purdue. Lucas Byrd and now Joe Roberts are out for the year. On top of that, both Braunagels are taking Olympic redshirts. 

Freshmen Caelan Riley, Logan Swaw, Chris Moore and Peter Marinopoulos are in the lineup. Gulp! Oh, and you forgot, Isiah Pettigrew is playing the hero, coming back from in-season knee surgery. But somehow, you find yourself screaming as the ILLINI start taking care of business with a Pucino pin and a Ruth major. 

After 197, Purdue leads 18-16. You swore that Freshman "heavyweight" Peter Marinopoulos just tried to score with a flying squirrel. He did get two takedowns and a win, and ILLINOIS comes from behind for the 19-18 victory! Here's a link to the recap, and below you have the box score and a photo:

125:	#1 Matt Ramos (PUR) tech. fall Caelan Riley (ILL), 17-1 (4:55)	ILL 0 I PUR 5
133:	#24 Tony Madrigal (ILL) dec. Dustin Norris (PUR), 7-2	ILL 3 I PUR 5
141:	#25 Danny Pucino (ILL) pins Christian White (PUR), (6:10)	ILL 9 I PUR 5
149:	Marcos Polanco (PUR) dec. Jake Harrier (ILL), 10-8	ILL 9 I PUR 8
157:	Isaac Ruble (PUR) dec. Logan Swaw (ILL), 5-1	ILL 9 I PUR 11
165:	#31 Stoney Buell (PUR) major dec. Chris Moore (ILL), 11-3	ILL 9 I PUR 15
174:	#8 Edmond Ruth (ILL) major dec. #32 Brody Baumann (PUR), 11-2	ILL 13 I PUR 15
184:	Dylan Connell (ILL) dec. James Rowley (PUR), 5-3	ILL 16 I PUR 15
197:	Ben Vanadia (PUR) dec. Isiah Pettigrew (ILL), 9-7	ILL 16 I PUR 18
285:	Peter Marinopoulos (ILL) dec. Hayden Filipovich (PUR), 8-6	ILL 19 I PUR 18

WHY WE HATE PURDUE

Their mascot. 

They make boilers which are basically large teapots. Probably cool in the 1890s. 

They're from Indiana. Shouldn't they be dribbling something? They live and work in a completely different time zone; they are not like us at all. We just got sick here in the office thinking about Purdue.

ILLINI Beat Purdue 31-9 on January 14, 2023

THE TEAMS

Wrestlestat.com predicts a 26-7 win for the good guys. The ILLINI are the #13 dual team in the country, while the Boilermakers are at #33. The Orange and Blue have an 8-3 record, 3-3 in conference, with wins over SIUE (41-3), Binghamton (30-10), Arizona State (37-6), Missouri (23-14), North Carolina (24-14), Indiana (34-3), Northwestern (33-7) and Maryland (33-7). The losses were to Ohio State (9-24), Iowa (6-28) and the criteria mishap with Rutgahs (15-16).

Purdue is 8-3, 1-2 in conference. They have beaten Gardner-Webb (34-10), Buffalo (45-0), Princeton (26-15), Chattanooga (41-3), Cleveland State (35-9), Kent State (31-10), Northwestern (31-13) and NIU (29-8). They've lost to Army (19-20), Indiana (11-25) and Ohio State (10-24). 

Because Ohio State is a common opponent and the Boilermakers latest dual result, we'll look at that box score:

125 | #1 Matt Ramos (PUR) over #11 Brendan McCrone (OSU) – D 3-1 | PUR 3-0

133 | #10 Nic Bouzakis (OSU) over Dustin Norris (PUR) – MD 15-3 | OSU 4-3

141 | #1 Jesse Mendez (OSU) over #27 Greyson Clark (PUR) – MD 13-2 | OSU 8-3

149 | #9 Dylan D'Emilio (OSU) over Isaac Ruble (PUR) – Fall 4:51 | OSU 14-3

157 | #7 Joey Blaze (PUR) over #17 Sammy Sasso (OSU) – D 5-1 | OSU 14-6

165 | #9 Paddy Gallagher (OSU) over #33 Stoney Buell (PUR) – Fall 2:58 | OSU 20-6

174 | #6 Carson Kharchla (OSU) over #25 Brody Baumann (PUR) – Fall 6:00 | OSU 26-6

184 | #19 Ryder Rogotzke (OSU) over Orlando Cruz (PUR) – D 7-1 | OSU 29-6

197 | #29 Ben Vanadia (PUR) over Gavin Bell (OSU) – MD 17-5 | OSU 29-10

285 | #7 Nick Feldman (OSU) over Hayden Filipovich (PUR) – TF 19-4 (3:42) | OSU 34-10

ILLINI Defeat Purdue 19-18 on February 16, 2024

INDIVIDUAL MATCHUPS

125. #149 CAELAN RILEY vs. #2 Matt Ramos. The Boiler has a huge advantage in the rankings, in records versus common opponents, and in previous head-to-head results. In last year's dual, Ramos scored a tech fall against Riley. This year, the algorithm is predicting a major decision. 

Against a national finalist, that would be a fine, even expected result. Caelan got his first Big Ten dual win recently, so we can anticipate an improvement over last season's tech fall result. 

On the other hand, Ramos is 20-0 on the season with a 75% bonus rate that includes eleven tech falls. Caelan will need to fight against those tilts. 

133. #3 LUCAS BYRD vs. #95 Dustin Norris. The Purdue kid is a quality wrestler undervalued at #95 by Wrestlestat.com. He was a teammate of Lucas' at La Salle in Cincinnati, Ohio and a 2x state champ. Norris is 6-7 on the year and 30-42 in his career, but he was recently on a five-win streak. That ended in his last two duals, which were a tech fall loss to Angelo Rini of Indiana and a loss by major decision to Nic Bouzakis. 

We are going to guess that the Boilermaker, as he's tall for the weight, might be having problems with the cut. He was at 100 pounds in 2017, then 106, then 113 and finally 126 in high school. Lucas has a decision and a major against him in their two dual matchups. Wrestlestat.com is predicting a 10-3 decision for the ILLINI. There is a massive disparity between their records against common opponents. Byrd is 32-1 against the same guys who hung an 8-23 record on Norris. 

141. #18 DANNY PUCINO vs. #43 Greyson Clark. Unless he's a caped crusader with a secret identity, we think that no ILLINI should lose to a guy named Greyson. Unless it is at bridge or cribbage. Clark is 9-8 on the season with a commendable 26-18 career mark. At last year's dual, this was only a two-point win for Danny, so we will need the Irish Italian Turbo Leprechaun up for this match. 

The two have similar records against opponents, but Pucino has a perfect 6-0 record against Boilermakers, and that includes their former All American at this weight, Parker Filius. Wrestlestat.com is going with an 11-6 win for the good guy. 

Pucino is Purdue Kryptonite!

149. #10 KANNON WEBSTER vs. #122 Isaac Ruble. The Purdue kid wrestled 157 last season and had his best record at 8-4. That included a dual win over Logan Swaw. He's at 7-7 this year in a full-time starter's role. This weight seems to be less agreeable to him, as he's given up a fall and a major decision to D'Emilio and Cartella from OSU and Northwestern.

Ruble tried a slow standing granby against D'Emilio, and the Buckeye was waiting with a half-nelson to get the fall. The Boiler is a leg rider. 

The best wrestler he's beaten at this weight is #84, and he also lost to that guy on the same day. Wrestlestat.com is predicting a major for the stud from Washington. 

157. #46 JASON KRAISSER vs. #10 Joey Blaze. The algorithm points in the other direction in this match, predicting a regular decision for Blaze. They have remarkably similar 6-7 and 6-8 records against common opponents with Kraisser's mark slightly better than his opponent's. 

But it is Blaze with the current 13-3 record (30-15 career) and a pretty recent 2-0 win over Peyton Keller of Ohio. He also beat Trevor Chumbley, Peyton Robb and Ed Scott last season. He's got some very good wins, and during the last two years, he seems to always beat the wrestler in front of him unless they are ranked at least #20. Wrestlestat.com is predicting a relatively easy 10-6 win for him, but does that include mad scrambles?

Against good opponents, Blaze likes the long scrambles that are opportunities for Cardiac Kraisser.

INTERMISSION

Brian Swaw and I have been trying to figure out which ILLINI team was the best ever. We've asked the members of the 2005 and 2012 squads to state their case. 

They have. Vigorously. 

You can hear them fight it out on the podcast, as All American and Team Captain Brian Glynn (2005) takes on All American and Team Captain Jordan Blanton (2012):

Special Guest Star Coach Poeta appeared in that video. The next one featured All American Mark Jayne (2005) versus ILLINI All-Time Pins Leader Tony Dallago (2012):

True story: This second video has been banned in Russia and Belarus. Today, we hope to get Coach Poeta (as a neutral observer) and Tyrone Byrd (2005) and Mario Gonzalez (2012) on the podcast. Look for that video soon!

165. #20 BRAEDEN SCOLES vs. #79 Stoney Buell. We recall Chris Moore beating good old Stoney at the Big Ten Tournament last season. He still managed to qualify for NCAAs. 

In the dual, it was Buell with the major over Moore. Then, back in 2023, it was Danny Braunagel with the pinfall. 

Still, the #79 Wrestlestat.com ranking is a mystery. He does have a 10-9 record, and maybe it has a little to do with his size. He's a very big 165, so his cut must be tremendous. Wreslestat.com is calling for a 12-5 win from Scoles, and we can see the ILLINI wearing him out and having his way in the third period. 

174. #30 DANNY BRAUNAGEL vs. #34 Brody Bauman. Imagine going to the BTT and finishing 1-3 with the only win being an injury default over Carter Starrocci, then because of that one default, "earning" an NCAA bid. Then, going 0-2 at the Big Dance to finish the season 12-16. 

That's the Brody Bauman story.

He's trying to rewrite his story this year with a sparkling 14-5 record, but that is padded with a lot of wins against mediocre opponents. He did have a close win over #25 Brody Conley of West Virginia at Cliff Keen.

The Brawlnagel is favored by four points at Wrestlestat.com, and it could end up like that or a major decision. 

184. #14 EDMOND RUTH vs. #103 Orlando Cruz. Jame Rowley posted on social media today that he will have season-ending surgery. Good luck to him! He had a fine 10-3 record before getting injured at Cliff Keen. 

Presumably, it has taken since early December to determine whether he should give it a go or have surgery. Surgery won out. He will seek a medical hardship year. 

Wrestling for Purdue at the weight has been the awesomely-named Orlando Cruz, who could be a wrestler, a 1980s pop band with smooth-flowing melodies or a cruise line operating out of Florida. 

He is, in fact, a wrestler.

Cruz is 6-7 on the year and 15-13 in his career. Before getting the starting nod for the Boilers, Cruz lost to the ILLINI's Chris Moore 1-5 at the Cleveland State Open. The Purdue kid was wrestling at 174 at the time, so he is bumping up to help his team. 

Wrestlestat.com is calling for a decision win for Ruthless, but Donnell Washington teched this fella; on the other hand, Ryder Rogotzke only won 7-1. Against common opponents, Edmond is 9-1 while Cruz is 1-6. If worse comes to worse and bonus is needed, here's a good place to start. 

197. #16 ZAC BRAUNAGEL vs. #56 Ben Vanadia. This is Vanadia's third year as a starter at 184 and 197 for Purdue, but he's never wrestled the Brawlnagel. He did beat Isiah Pettigrew 9-7 last year in the dual, but that was after the ILLINI came back from in-season knee surgery.

Two years ago, Dylan Connell stuck a major on him at the BTT and beat him 9-2 at the dual. Then, a year before that, a healthy Isiah Pettigrew beat him 6-3 at an open. 

Vanadia is 12-7 on the year, 39-41 on his career. Wrestlestat.com is giving the Braunagel with the biggest noggin a five-point win, but we expect the Captain to get bonus if needed by his team.

In fact, we're counting on Big Brawny to hit a pair of feet to back doubles, and a footsweep would be nice. 

285. #15 LUKE LUFFMAN vs. #83 Hayden Filipovich. Finally, the Wrestlestat.com algorithm is predicting another bonus point for the ILLINI. 

Filipovich spent his first two years in West Lafayette as a 197 and 184 pounder. These last two have been at heavy. His career mark is a dismal 22-42 and he's 9-10 this season. 

Yet, he's had a couple of nice wins, beating Missouri's backup heavyweight this season, and Rutger's Brian Soldano and Cal Baptist's Nathan Haas last season at 184.

But he will always be fondly remembered by ILLINI fans for being the object which Peter Marinopoulos' Flying Squirrel evaded, and for being the guy Marinopoulos beat to win last year's dual.