Thursday, November 21
Champaign, Ill.
7 p.m.
University of Missouri
at
Illinois
No. 9 Wrestling Prepped for Braggin' Rights Showdown with No. 16 Illinois
11/20/2024 10:46:00 AM | Wrestling
| MATCH 3: #9 Missouri (1-1-0) vs. #16 Illinois (3-0-0) | |
| Match Details | Thursday, Nov. 21 • 7 p.m. • Champaign, Ill. • Lot 31 Stadium Club |
| Match Coverage | Big Ten Plus | Live Stats |
| Match Notes | Missouri | Illinois |
| Social Media | Twitter: @MizzouWrestling | Instagram: @MizzouWrestling |
COLUMBIA, Mo. - University of Missouri wrestling continues its road stretch to start the season, going to No. 16 Illinois on Thursday, Nov. 21. The two teams will compete outside at the Lot 31 Stadium Club beginning at 7 p.m. CT. Fans can also stream the action on Big10Plus.
LAST TIME OUT
- Last Friday, the Tigers faced No. 7 Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia, and suffered their first loss of the season, 23-10.
- Cam Steed (5-0), Keegan O'Toole (6-0) and Colton Hawks (5-0) each picked up wins at 165, 157 and 184, respectively, to remain undefeated this season.
- No. 12 ranked Hawks earned his win by upsetting No. 5 TJ Stewart, an All-American from last season.
HOLY HAWKS
- Redshirt junior Colton Hawks earned his first Big 12 Wrestler of the Week honor, voted by the league coaches, on Wednesday, Nov. 20.
- No. 12 Hawks secures the accolade by defeating No. 5 TJ Stewart Jr. of Virginia Tech, 8-2.
- The Wentzville, Missouri native remains 5-0 this year with two major decisions and a fall.
- This marks the first wrestler to win the award since Keegan O'Toole on Dec. 27, 2023.
TERRIFYING TRIO
- Missouri's 165, 174 and 184 stretch of its starting lineup is daunting, totaling a 16-0 start, with 13 of those wins coming with bonus points.
- At 165 pounds, Cam Steed remains 5-0 with a pair of falls under a minute.
- Keegan O'Toole has started 6-0 this year with a 100 percent bonus rate since bumping up to 174 pounds, including four technical falls.
- Most recently besting the No. 5 ranked wrestler at 184 pounds, Colton Hawks is kicking off the season 5-0.
CLIMBING THE RANKS
- The Black and Gold have nine of 10 starters ranked by InterMat, while eight are in the top 10 by FloWrestling.
- Keegan O'Toole comes in at No. 2 on FloWrestling's pound-for-pound list.
- Furthermore, the team sits at No. 9 in the NWCA Poll and is ranked as high as No. 6 by FloWrestling.
LAST TIME AGAINST ILLINOIS
- The Mizzou to the Lou dual in St. Louis saw the Tigers come out on top, 29-6 on Dec. 21, 2023.
- The match was the first sporting event in the 90-year history of the Stifel Theater and was put on by UFC Fight Pass.
- The Tigers totaled eight wins over the Illini, highlighted by Keegan O'Toole weighing in at 165 pounds but bumping up to wrestle No. 5 Edmond Ruth at 174. O'Toole came out on top 12-7 and earned Big 12 Wrestler of the Week honors for his efforts.
- Kade Moore (133) and Brock Mauller (157) both earned major decisions, while Clayton Whiting (184) secured the fall.
ALL-TIME VS. THE ILLINI
- This match marks the 36th match between Missouri and Illinois, with the Illini holding a 19-16-0 lead over the Tigers.
- The series between the bordering states dates back to the 1927-28 season under Charles Fisher, where Illinois defeated Mizzou 24-3.
TRAVELIN' MEN
- The Tigers begin the 2024-25 away from home for the entire first semester, not wrestling in Columbia until Jan. 3 against Cornell.
- After returning home, Mizzou will host five home matches in January before hitting the road again to Oklahoma and Oklahoma State.
- The last time the Black and Gold were not home until January (not including the shortened 2020-21 season) was 1998-99, head coach Brian Smith's first season at the helm.
MOST WINS (active, 50+)
- Keegan O'Toole (93), Rocky Elam (70) and Noah Surtin (62).
ON THE HORIZON
- The Tigers continue their stretch as road warriors, traveling to Hartland, Wisconsin, to take on No. 14 Northern Iowa.
- The dual will be at Arrowhead High School, Keegan O'Toole's alma mater, starting at 7 p.m. CT on UFC Fight Pass.
Players Mentioned
/ Wrestling
/ Wrestling
/ Wrestling
/ Wrestling
/ Wrestling
/ Wrestling
/ Wrestling
/ Wrestling
Big 12 Champion: Rocky Elam
Thursday, March 09
Wrestling Cinematic vs. Iowa State
Friday, February 17
Connor Brown Senior Video
Thursday, February 16
Mitchell Bohlken Senior Video
Wednesday, February 15
