James Hackney
Watch Live: FloWrestling, February 18th @2PM CT
Two days after beating North Dakota State the Tigers head south for a dual against South Dakota State. The Jackrabbits actually beat Mizzou the last time they faced in the 2022 season, with a 21-12 upset win at the Hearnes. The Tigers were missing some starters then and it’s likely that they will be here as well. Moore and Gioffre aren’t competing this weekend, with Drew Stanfield and Joel Mylin expected to step into the lineup. While typically the Tigers have the beefier back half of the lineup SDSU has some similar hammers that could need the team finding some upsets and bonus points throughout the dual.
125lbs: #8 Noah Surtin (12-2) vs #15 Tanner Jordan (18-6)
These two have wrestled four times previously, with Surtin winning the past three. Last season he majored him at Big 12’s and pinned him at NCAA’s. Jordan is having one of his best years and has wins over Jore Volk and Troy Spratley this season. He’s lanky at the weight and can be dangerous on the mat. Surtin is coming off a tough loss that saw him get to legs but have a hard time scrambling through and finishing. I think he’ll have to find some finishes here, but I like how he’s wrestled throughout the season to get another win here.
Prediction: Surtin Dec. Jordan (MIZ 3 SDSU 0)
133lbs: Drew Stanfield (2-2) vs #18 Derrick Cardinal (15-7)
Last year Cardinal went 11-15 as a redshirt freshman and missed out on qualifying. He’s made a big jump this season but is coming off consecutive losses to Jace Koelzer and Daton Fix. Cardinal is tough on top, which could be a rough position for true freshman Stanfield. While Stanfield is a bit of an unknown and could make something happen, Cardinal is a tough matchup and I think has the ability to score bonus points here.
Prediction: Cardinal Maj. Stanfield (MIZ 3 SDSU 4)
141lbs: #26 Josh Edmond (8-6) vs #22 Clay Carlson (7-5)
Don’t let the ranking fool as Carlson is a two-time All-American at this weight and as tough as they come. He’s had a weird season so far but is clearly picking up steam late in the year. He’s great defensively and has some veteran turns from top. This is an opportunity for Edmond to use his dynamic offense to score against a tough opponent, but he will need to…
