Cael Sanderson provides update on Tyler Kasak after injury default

Penn State wrestling cruised to its 68th straight dual win with a 35-10 victory over No. 29 Maryland on Sunday afternoon. However, it wasn’t all positive news for the Nittany Lions after 157-pounder Tyler Kasak suffered his first loss of the season via injury default to No. 6 Ethen Miller.

A low-scoring, defensive affair, Kasak led 1-0 in the second period before suffering the injury. Kasak stayed on the mat for several minutes before being escorted to the locker room by the Penn State wrestling coaching staff and athletic trainers.

Tyler Kasak down on the mat on what appeared to he a hit to the head. He currently leads 1-0 in the 2nd period but unsure whether he will continue #WeAre #PSUwr pic.twitter.com/Esg87PLZRF

— Basic Blues Nation (@BasicBlues) February 9, 2025

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Kasak demonstrated some disorientation as he walked to the locker room, leaving some to believe he may have entered concussion protocol. There were two separate times before he hit the mat where it looked like Kasak had been poked in the eye or hit in the head.

No. 1 Tyler Kasak (Penn State) injury defaults to No. 6 Ethan Miller (Maryland) after taking a hit to the face. Hope he's okay. pic.twitter.com/TGqQFD71Qv

— Saturday Night Lights (@WrestlingSNL) February 9, 2025

Kasak was observed for several moments by the the Nittany Lions medical team during Friday night’s dual against Zack Mattin. Last week against Iowa’s Jacori Teemer, Kasak suffered a cut to the head that caused significant bleeding and had to be bandaged in order to finish the match.

What did Cael Sanderson say about the injury to Tyler Kasak?

As a result of the injury default, Kasak suffered his first loss of the season. Days after Kasak became the new No. 1 wrestler at 157 pounds, Ethen Miller now stands alone as the only unbeaten left in the weight class.

While the loss may not matter much for the national rankings, it will hurt Kasak in the Big Ten seeding, giving Miller a clear path to the No. 1 seed if he runs the table. When asked about his standout 157-pounder after the dual, Cael Sanderson was already looking ahead to March.

“We’re not entirely sure yet [what happened],” Sanderson said. “So I would just say we got a lot of time before the conference tournament and whatever. So he should be good to go.

“Because he’s a tough dude. I mean, if he’s kind of falling down like that and he’s hurting, then he’s hurting, obviously.”

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