LINCOLN, Neb. – No. 6 Mizzou Wrestling outlasted No. 11 Nebraska, 19-14, Sunday afternoon in its National Wrestling Coaches Association National Duals Series matchup. With the Tigers up 12-10 in the 184-pound bout, redshirt sophomore 184-pounder Willie Miklus (Altoona, Iowa) scored a takedown right before the third period buzzer to upend TJ Dudley, 5-4, giving Mizzou the lead it needed to down the Huskers.
"I didn't panic when I fell behind in the match," said Miklus. "I still wrestled until the end. I was just happy to get the win for the team and that we were able to get the win as a team."
Junior 197-pouner J'den Cox (Columbia, Mo.) became the 24th member of the 100-win club with a 16-7 major decision over Aaron Studebaker. Cox is the fastest Tiger wrestler to 100 wins in program history, doing so in 105 matches.
"J'den is wrestling well," said Head Coach Brian Smith. "When he is shooting and scoring like that, he is unstoppable."
Redshirt sophomore 125-pounder Barlow McGhee (Rock Island, Ill.) began the dual off for the Tigers with a 5-3 win over No. 12-ranked Tim Lambert. McGhee trailed 3-2 in the third period after a stalling call, but utilized an escape and a takedown the capture the victory.
In the third match of the night, redshirt junior 141-pounder Matt Manley (Perry, Okla.) scored takedowns in the first and second period, along with a reversal in the second for a 6-2 win over No. 19-ranked Anthony Adidin.
With the Tigers trailing 10-6, redshirt freshman 165-pounder Daniel Lewis (Blue Springs, Mo.) brought the Tigers within a point with a 4-0 victory over No. 9-ranked Austin Wilson. Following Lewis, redshirt senior 174-pounder Blaise Butler (Belvidere, Ill.) regained the lead for #TigerStyle with a narrow 7-5 win over No. 20-ranked Micah Barnes. With the bout tied, 4-4, heading into the final period, Butler scored a takedown and was awarded a point for riding time to claim the victory.
In Miklus' match against Dudley, the Tiger sophomore trailed 4-2 with time winding down in the bout. Miklus scored an escape and a takedown with less than five seconds to steal the victory.
At 197 pounds, Cox scored seven takedowns in the first two periods to take a commanding lead over Studebaker. Cox added an escape point and a point for riding time to preserve the major decision, 16-7. The Tigers led 19-10 after the bout and would go on to win the dual 19-14.
"I wouldn't have got to where I am today without my team around me pushing me and driving me to become a better wrestler every day," said Cox. "It's hard to do this sport alone, to have a great group of teammates and coaches around me is a blessing."
Mizzou will next be in action March 5-6 in Ypsilanti, Mich. for the Mid-American Conference Championships. The Tigers will be looking for their fourth consecutive title and fifth conference title overall in the tournament.
For all the latest on Mizzou Wrestling, stay tuned to MUTigers.com and follow the team on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram (MizzouWrestling).
Match-By-Match Results
125: #11 Barlow McGhee (Mizzou) def. #12 Tim Lambert (Nebraska) by 5-3 decision
133: #9 Eric Montoya (Nebraska) def. #14 Zach Synon (Mizzou) by 4-0 decision
141: #6 Matt Manley (Mizzou) def. #19 Anthony Abidin (Nebraska) by 6-2 decision
149: #4 Jake Sueflohn (Nebraska) def. #3 Lavion Mayes (Mizzou) by 4-1 TB-1
157: #19 Tyler Berger (Nebraska) def. #29 Le'Roy Barnes (Mizzou) by 10-2 major decision
165: #4 Daniel Lewis (Mizzou) def. #9 Austin Wilson (Nebraska) by 4-0 decision
174: #5 Blaise Butler (Mizzou) def. #20 Micah Barnes (Nebraska) by 7-5 decision
184: #11 Willie Miklus (Mizzou) def. #6 TJ Dudley (Nebraska) by 5-4 decision
197: #2 J'den Cox (Mizzou) def. #10 Aaron Studebaker (Nebraska) by 16-7 major decision
HWT: #21 Collin Jensen (Nebraska) def. Cody Johnston (Mizzou) by 9-1 major decision
