TAKEAWAYS: Penn State wins Big Ten title, sets conference record at Illinois

Penn State wrestling took down No. 13 Illinois 29-9 on Sunday to cap off another undefeated season and the program’s fifth consecutive Big Ten Dual Season Championship. The Nittany Lions won seven of the ten matches and cruised to their 70th dual victory in a row.

What were some takeaways from Penn State’s 2025 Big Ten finale?

A new Big Ten record resides in Happy Valley

Cael Sanderson and Penn State have dominated the college wrestling world at a magnitude that we haven’t seen since Dan Gable and Iowa in the 1980s-90s. Between 2015 and 2019, the Nittany Lions held a 60-match win streak before falling to Arizona State and the Hawkeyes during the 2019-20 season.

Since that defeat in Iowa City on January 31, 2020, Penn State wrestling has yet to lose. With Sunday’s victory, the Nittany Lions set a new Big Ten record with their 70th consecutive dual win. The streak is now second in NCAA Division I wrestling history and fifth all-time across the sport.

With only one dual remaining this season, the Nittany Lions won’t be able to catch Oklahoma State’s record of 76 wins. But with seven projected starters returning next year, Penn State will have the opportunity to topple the 74-year-old record in 2025-26.

Braeden Davis is still not competing like a national title contender

Braeden Davis is now two matches back after missing three straight duals with an injury. After escaping for an 8-5 win over No. 11 Nic Bouzakis (Ohio State) on Friday night, the sophomore didn’t have the same success on Sunday and was thoroughly dominated by No. 4 Lucas Byrd (Illinois) by a 7-1 decision. The loss was nearly a major decision, as it appeared Byrd got one final takedown as time expired that ultimately wasn’t awarded.

Davis is a really talented defensive wrestler, as demonstrated on Friday night as he fought off a 30-second onslaught of attacks from Bouzakis to win. However, as we saw Sunday against Byrd, his offense can become stagnant.

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!

Davis is now 8-3 on the season with a 27.27% bonus. He has picked up a few quality wins along the way. But compared to his competition, Davis doesn’t look like he can win a national title right now. Davis is currently ranked No. 8, which is on the cut line to be an All-American when the season concludes in Philadelphia next month.

It certainly is possible that, as Davis gets healthier, he can pick up bigger wins and start to dominate his competition more. Last year at 125 pounds, he had two late-season losses but ended up getting hot at the Big Ten Championships and winning the tournament. Earning the top overall seed before being eliminated in the round of 12 at the NCAAs, it was still a successful debut for the then-true freshman.

While the next step may be to become an All-American this season, Penn State uses national title contention as its scale. I believe that Davis and Luke Lilledahl are the only two in the Penn State wrestling starting lineup who haven’t yet displayed the capability of winning a national title this season. That all could change if either goes out and wins the Big Ten Championship. But the consistency just hasn’t been there for the pair of Nittany Lions this season.

Carter Starocci is becoming more dominant as the Penn State wrestling season progresses

© Chris Eutsler / Basic Blues Nation, 2025.

Carter Starocci is somehow getting more dominant as the regular season will come to a close this upcoming weekend. Starocci is 17-0 with a 94.12% bonus in 2024-25, including three straight matchups where the star 184-pounder scored bonus points.

Last weekend, Starocci claimed two tech falls, beating No. 26 Jaden Bullock (Michigan) 19-4 on Friday and then No. 11 Jaxon Smith (Maryland) 20-3 on Sunday. This weekend, Starocci took down No. 18 Ryder Rogotzke (Ohio State) by a 22-7 tech fall. He then forced No. 12 Edmond Ruth (Illinois) to be disqualified after too many stalling calls, a match the Nittany Lion was winning 17-4 at the time.

Starocci’s dominance was fully on display in Champaign on Sunday, consistently pushing Ruth toward the edge of the mat after taking him down time after time. And it wasn’t just a win against a no-name opponent; Ruth was 10-5 heading into the weekend after claiming the 174-pound Big Ten title in Starocci’s absence last year. The ease with which Starocci scored a win over a potential All-American demonstrated the gap between him and the rest of the field.

Outside of his 3-1 win over Iowa’s Angelo Ferrari, Starocci has dominated this season. He will be key if Penn State wrestling can break its NCAA point total record from a season ago. As March approaches, Starocci’s potential rematch against Parker Keckeisen is certainly on the front of everyone’s minds.

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.