TAKEAWAYS: Injury questions loom large in another dominant Penn State win

Penn State wrestling extended its dual-win streak to 68 over the weekend with a resounding 35-10 win over No. 29 Maryland inside Rec Hall on Sunday afternoon. The Nittany Lions won eight of ten matches and were once again the far superior side. Despite the win, injury concerns continue to grow for a lineup that has been dominating its competition, as another high-profile wrestler’s status is in question moving forward.

What do we know about the injury to Tyler Kasak, and what else are we taking away from the Nittany Lions’ dual win over the Terrapins?

Tyler Kasak injury looms large for Penn State wrestling lineup

Just one week after moving up to No. 1 in the rankings at 157 pounds, Tyler Kasak was forced to take a medical forfeit after sustaining a head injury during the second period in his match against No. 6 Ethen Miller.

While the result will count as a loss on his record, it doesn’t change that Kasak is still one of the favorites to win the national title at the weight. However, the defeat could alter the seeding for the Big Ten Championships, as Miller now has a path to the top spot in the tournament if he continues to win.

We will find out the severity of Kasak’s injury this weekend with a pair of road duals against No. 8 Ohio State and No. 13 Illinois. The sophomore has suffered several blows to the head and cuts above his eye in recent weeks. While Cael Sanderson couldn’t speak to the nature of the injury following Sunday’s dual, he suggested that Kasak wouldn’t have left the match if he wasn’t in considerable pain.

The Nittany Lions’ uncertainty at 157 pounds extends beyond Kasak. Backup Alex Facundo suffered an undisclosed injury a few months ago. With Kasak’s stranglehold on the starting spot seemingly intact and Mitchell Mesenbrink (165) and Levi Haines (174) both having their places in the lineup secure, it may be wise for Facundo to seek a medical redshirt and not compete this season.

If Sanderson does need to go deeper into the Penn State wrestling roster with Kasak out, he could look at freshman Ty Watson out of Centre Hall, who is the only other 157 pounder listed. He could also opt to bring up a 149 pounder like Connor Pierce, who is 7-3 on the season this year, or David Evans, who has yet to compete.

Regardless of who takes the mat this weekend, the priority will be to get Kasak as healthy as possible for the postseason, specifically the NCAA Championships.

Beau Bartlett changes his pace

© Dan Rainville / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Beau Bartlett entered the weekend undefeated despite a stretch of low-scoring bouts. But the senior moved to 15-0 and snapped a streak of four straight decisions with his 17-3 major decision over Maryland’s Dario Lemus on Sunday. It was a result that delighted the Rec Hall crowd.

Bartlett started the match attacking with a purpose and quickly picked up his first takedown within seconds to take the lead. The start caused Rec Hall to erupt as fans were happy about Bartlett’s change of pace. He never looked back from there, almost picking up the tech fall after staying aggressive on offense the entire match.

Looking for a way to stay up-to-date with all the most important news surrounding Penn State wrestling and Nittany Lion athletics? Follow us on social media and subscribe to our free newsletter for live news and insights sent directly to your feed!

While Lemus isn’t the highest-level of opponent, it still was a refreshing change from Bartlett, who we know can turn it up when needed.

Bartlett is most known for his defense and counterattacks. So far, only Brock Hardy was able to pick up a takedown on the veteran Nittany Lion this season. That will be put to the test this weekend against No. 1 Jesse Mendez of Ohio State, who is the only wrestler to beat Beau Bartlett in the past two seasons. Mendez holds a 3-1 career record over Bartlett, including wins at last year’s Big Ten and NCAA Finals, and is the favorite to win the national title at 141 again this spring.

Carter Starocci dominates again

A week after beating future Iowa’s Angelo Ferrari by just a 3-1 margin, Carter Starocci flexed his muscles on Sunday against No. 11 Jaxon Smith.

The four time NCAA Champion jumped out quickly and picked up few first-period takedowns to take a five point lead into the second. He then continued to dominate and didn’t give up a single takedown on his way to a 20-3 tech fall victory in 6:45.

Smith is a solid wrestler and could potentially be in the running for All-American status this March. But Starocci made him look like an unranked wrestler with a losing record. The quickness and power of his shots overwhelmed the Maryland junior and didn’t give him a chance.

The win demonstrated that the 3-1 victory over Ferrari was more of an anomaly. Starocci has scored bonus points on every other opponent. His 93.33% bonus is the highest of his career.

With Starocci, it feels more like a waiting game until the postseason. Similar to teams like the Boston Celtics or Los Angeles Dodgers, the Starocci seems to be able to grind through the regular season before kicking it into another gear in the postseason.

Everyone is waiting for a potential rematch between Starocci and Northern Iowa’s Parker Keckeisen in the NCAA Finals. The two had met in the NWCA All-Star Classic where Starocci won close. However, the dual doesn’t count toward either of their records, so the wrestlers are a combined 33-0 this year.

Thank you for reading Basic Blues Nation, one of the fastest-growing outlets covering Penn State athletics. Part of the Full Ride network, we are an alumni-owned and operated, credentialed media outlet dedicated to providing you with updated and reliable insights for all your favorite Nittany Lion sports. Whether it’s Penn State football, basketball, wrestling, or anything in between, you can find it all on Basic Blues Nation!

Please follow us on our social channels, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube, and subscribe to our newsletter on Substack for breaking news and notifications. For feedback, questions, or concerns, please email us at [email protected] or direct message us on social media.