CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- No. 9 Illinois earned its first win against Michigan since 2000 with a 20-15 triumph over the No. 17 Wolverines in front of a season-high 1,409 fans at Huff Hall. No. 2 Jimmy Kennedy gave the Illini their first lead of the night with his major decision at 133, true-freshman Eric Terrazas earned his first Big Ten victory at 149, No. 3 Mike Poeta scored career win No. 97 and No. 8 John Wise secured the team win with his victory at heavyweight.
Just 21 seconds into the bout, No. 18 Michael Watts executed a smooth hip-toss takedown on B.J. Futrell and quickly got a takedown and a three-point near-fall for a 5-0 lead. But Futrell worked into a reversal with 1:27 left after a restart. Watts escaped with 1:04 left, but Futrell got a leg and nearly finished it but Watts fought it into a stalemate and led 6-2 after a period. Watts started down in the second and escaped with 1:03 remaining. With no further scoring in the second, Futrell started down in the third and Watts rode him out for the 8-2 win after the riding time point, putting Michigan ahead, 3-0.
At 133, No. 2 Jimmy Kennedy got an ankle and finished the takedown just 34 seconds into the bout before letting Zac Stevens go with 1:37 left in the period. Leading 2-1 after three minutes, Kennedy started down in the second and quickly escaped. Off a restart, Kennedy shot in on a double-leg and finished it on the edge for a takedown and a 5-1 lead. Kennedy cut Stevens loose off a restart then after another restart fired through a double-leg for the takedown with 16 seconds left for the 7-2 lead after two periods. Stevens started down in the third and Kennedy cut him loose off the whistle then blocked a shot by the Wolverine and circled around for the takedown. Kennedy cut him loose once again with 1:22 left, then got both ankles and finished the takedown on the edge for an 11-4 lead with riding time over a minute. Following an injury-time stoppage for Stevens, the Wolverine flipped over trying for the escape, but Kennedy controlled him and nearly got back points, earning the 12-4 major decision to put Illinois on top 4-3.
Ryan Prater got the takedown with 2:34 left in the first against No. 3 Kellen Russell at 141 but Russell escaped 20 seconds later. Russell nearly got a takedown and back points on the edge but Prater kept hold of the Wolverine's right leg and a stalemate was called. But Russell gained control just before the horn sounded to take a 3-2 lead after a period. Russell started down in the second and got a reversal with a minute left plus three back points with 49 seconds left, but Prater scored a reversal with 45 seconds left. Russell escaped for a 9-4 lead after two periods and Prater started down in the third. Russell was warned for stalling with 1:34 left in the match and Prater escaped with 1:05 left to make it 9-5. Russell blocked a shot and fired through a double-leg with seven seconds left for the 11-5 decision to push Michigan ahead once again, 6-4.
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At 149, Eric Terrazas shot off the whistle and got the takedown nine seconds into the match. Terrazas was warned for stalling with 1:09 after riding Beaudry for nearly two minutes and the Wolverine escaped with 57 seconds left. After blocking three shots by Beaudry, Terrazas got a leg on the edge and eventually circled around for the takedown before riding out the Wolverine for a 4-1 lead with 2:07 of riding time after a period. Beaudry started down in the second and escaped in seven seconds. Beaudry got a leg on the edge but Terrazas fought him off after a drawn-out scramble and a stalemate was called. Terrazas executed a nice throw-by takedown but Beaudry rolled out for the escape. The Illini rookie got a leg on the edge and nearly got the second before both wrestlers went out of bounds and Terrazas took a 6-3 lead into the third. The Illini freshman started down in the third and Beaudry cut him loose off the whistle for a 7-3 lead. Terrazas shot in once again and got a leg, forced Beaudry into the splits then turned him and finished the takedown to go up 9-3. He cut the Wolverine loose then got a leg on the edge yet again before securing the takedown to go up 11-4 with riding time. After his second injury timeout, Terrazas was unable to ride out Beaudry but got a throw-by takedown on the edge for the 14-5 win, his first career Big Ten victory.
No. 2 Mike Poeta scored a takedown on Aaron Hynes with 2:10 left in the first at 157 and let Hynes go with 1:26, then got a double-leg with 50 seconds left and rode him out for the 4-1 lead after three minutes. Hynes started down in the second and Poeta let him loose 16 seconds in. The Illini senior shot in, got a leg and finished the takedown on the edge with 1:22 left and Hynes escaped 14 seconds later to make it 6-3 in Poeta's favor after the second. Poeta started down in the third and Hynes rode him out as the Illini senior took a 6-3 win, pushing the Illini's lead to 11-6.
No. 15 Roger Smith-Bergsrud fired through a double-leg with 1:29 left in the first period against Justin Zeerip at 165 and Zeerip escaped with 1:15. But Smith-Bergsrud shot through another double-leg takedown on the edge with 40 seconds left and let Zeerip go with 30 seconds left, then took down Zeerip once again with six seconds left for the 6-2 lead after the first. Zeerip started down in the second and escaped in 10 seconds but Smith-Bergsrud took him down six seconds later. The Wolverine escaped in nine seconds but Smith-Bergsrud got another takedown with 1:14 after Zeerip was warned for stalling five seconds earlier. Zeerip escaped with 59 seconds left to make Smith-Bergsrud's lead 10-5 after five minutes. The pair started neutral in the third and Zeerip was hit with another stalling warning, giving Smith-Bergsrud a point. The Illini senior got a leg with 17 seconds left but couldn't fight off Zeerip's whizzer and took the 12-5 win, improving Illinois' advantage to 14-6.
At 174, No. 1 Steve Luke got a leg and finished the takedown on John Dergo with 1:31 left in the first but Dergo escaped 16 seconds later. Dergo got a leg with 58 seconds left but Luke fought him off and caused a stalemate. Luke got in on a leg and finished it to take a 4-1 lead after the first. Luke started down in the second and escaped in five seconds to go up 5-1. After no further scoring, Dergo started down in the third and kicked out in eight seconds. Dergo got in on a leg with a minute left but Luke bent Dergo's neck into a dangerous position and the hold was broken. Luke got in on a leg as time ran down but Dergo fended him off as the Wolverine took the 5-2 victory, bringing Michigan within 14-9.
With 1:50 left, No. 13 Anthony Biondo shot in and got a leg before finished the takedown on No. 12 Jordan Blanton but Blanton escaped in 13 seconds. But Blanton got in on a double-leg near the edge for the takedown with 55 seconds to take a 3-2 lead. Biondo escaped with 31 seconds left to tie the bout at 3 after a period. Biondo started down in the second and escaped in 29 seconds. Blanton got a leg and nearly put Biondo on his back but couldn't keep control before he finally circled around and go the takedown with 57 seconds left for the 5-4 lead after the second. Blanton started down in the third and slipped out of Biondo's grasp for the reversal with 55 seconds left in the bout to go up 7-4. He rode out Biondo to secure the riding-time point and win, 8-4, pushing the Illini's lead to 17-9.
At 197, No. 6 Tyrel Todd took down Patrick Bond with 50 seconds left then locked in an armbar and pinned the Illini in 2:48 to cut Illinois' lead to 17-15.
No. 8 John Wise forced a stalling warning on Michigan's Eddie Phillips with 42 seconds left in the first period, then swooped in for a leg and tripped him for the takedown on the edge with 16 seconds remaining. Wise rode him out for the 2-0 lead after a period. Wise started down in the second and escaped in four seconds then got a leg, lifted it and tripped Phillips for another takedown on the edge with 31 seconds left. Wise rode him out once more to take a 5-1 lead with 43 seconds of riding time to the third. Phillips started down in the third and escaped off the whistle. Wise fended off late attacks from Phillips, countering a shot and circling for the takedown as the horn sounded for the 7-2 win that sealed the Illini's 20-15 victory.
No. 9 Illinois returns to action Sunday against Michigan State. Admission is free to all fans for the 1 p.m. dual where the Fighting Illini will honor four seniors prior to the match.
