Nebraska pins North Carolina

The North Carolina wrestling team knew that beating No. 14 Nebraska would be a tall task.

Immediately following Saturday’s duel with the Cornhuskers, the Tar Heels (8-9-1) realized just how tough it was. On senior day for the Tar Heels, UNC lost 31-6.

Eight UNC wrestlers dropped their bouts against Nebraska on Saturday. No Tar Heel registered a takedown until the sixth match nor led his opponent until the seventh match.

“We just got beat by a better team today,” coach C.D. Mock said.

Mock attributed the large score gap to the Cornhuskers’ experience. Nebraska, of the historically strong Big 12 Conference, only wrestled one freshman. The Tar Heels threw six rookies onto the mat.

“It was just confidence and experience,” Mock said. “Wrestling in the Midwest … these guys are banging heads with very, very tough teams every single week all year long, and they gain valuable experience pretty quick.”

Thomas Ferguson was one of two UNC wrestlers to win his bout, picking up the decision in the final match of the afternoon.

Each of the Cornhuskers first three wrestlers was nationally ranked in the top 15, which helped Nebraska take the 184-pound, 197-pound and heavyweight bouts over Tar Heel freshmen.

Jake Corrill, Pat Owens and Mike Rappo also couldn’t provide any answers for UNC, falling 6-0, 7-1 and 10-3, respectively.

Down 21-0, the Tar Heels found hope in the 149-pound match. After wrestling fairly even through the first five and a half minutes, Nick Stabile scored two points on a reversal and gained a lead which he kept until the final buzzer.

Stabile’s win reenergized the UNC squad, especially with thriving Corey Mock wrestling next.

“I was definitely riding off that momentum,” he said. “I was feeling good, but later when I started my legs started getting tired.”

Mock set the tone in the first set, registering a two-point takedown when he dragged his opponent back into the ring by his foot and put the Cornhusker on his back.

But he was soon spent. Nebraska’s Tyler Koehn fought back and took control of the match, scoring a fall when he pinned the freshman with just eight seconds left.

“I didn’t cut my weight very well I don’t think,” Corey Mock said. “I was really tired, I blew all I had in that first takedown.”

The fall clinched the win for Nebraska by putting the Cornhuskers ahead by 24 points.

“They’re tough,” Stabile said. “They wrestle Big Ten, Big 12 style. We’re trying to adapt to that, and that style is clashing right now, but we’ll get there.”

Contact the Sports Editor at sports@dailytarheel.com.