James Hackney
#11 Mizzou (4-2) vs Air Force (2-0) – January 13th 7 PM on FloWrestling
All Time Record vs: 1-0
Coming off their second conference win, the Tigers hit the road for a two day trip. First they’ll stop in Colorado to take on the Air Force Falcons. They are 2-0 this season, with wins against Division II Western Colorado and Wyoming. The Falcons have been active this year, with eight tournaments already on the schedule. At various points this season they’ve had five different wrestlers in the rankings. The Tigers are favored in most matches, but Air Force has shown that they are tough and take out ranked opponents. It’s expected that O’Toole, Brown, and Jacques should make their return, which should help the team a lot. Here are some things to look out for as the team starts their first of five consecutive road duals.
Ranking Opportunities
While Air Force features three ranked wrestlers, only two are ranked higher than the Tigers. That means two chances for Mizzou to get a win to climb the rankings. The first is at 133, if Conor Brown makes his return. If he does he’ll see Missouri native Cody Phippen, who is having one of his better seasons as a senior. His big win came against #22 Kurt Phipps in a 13-0 major. Last year Phippen was at 141 and had a 4-0 decision loss against Allan Hart. Phippen is hard to score on, and his offense looks improved this year. Brown will likely have to look sharper than he did at the Scuffle to get the win.
