Rutgers wrestling opened the Journeymen Jostle with a massive 49-3 win over Davidson but fell 27-11 to No. 10 NC State in the nightcap, witnessing their first loss of the season. The Scarlet Knights held control in the first encounter, but when facing a ranked Wolfpack squad, their flaws in the higher weights were laid bare.
Rutgers Dominated Against Davidson
Rutgers started the joslte with flying colours. No. 28 redshirt freshman Ayden Smith (125) kicked off with a fall at the six-minute mark, followed by another pin by No. 12 graduate student Dylan Shawver (133) in the second period. After Shawver, No. 12 graduate Joseph Olivieri (141) secured a dominating lead with a consecutive third fall.
The only loss for Rutgers against Davidson came when No. 21 graduate Andy Clark (149) dropped a tight 7-6 decision to unranked Anderson Heap. However, the Knights were too far ahead to be concerned by this setback.
FINAL: No. 10 NC State 27, No. 13 Rutgers 11.We pick up three wins against the Wolfpack, including a signature victory from No. 12 Joseph Olivieri (141) over No. 7 Ryan Jack.We’ll see you Saturday night back in Jersey against No. 19 Oklahoma.#RelentlessPursuit | #GoRUpic.twitter.com/YgIPejXyNH
— Rutgers Wrestling (@RUWrestling) December 7, 2025
No. 16 redshirt sophomore Shane Cartagena-Walsh (184) and senior PJ Casale (197) added more pins. These five pins were complemented by four wins coming from bonuses. This bout showed how dominant Rutgers’ lower-weight talents are; unfortunately, it wasn’t the same for the Knights in higher weights.
Rutgers Falls To NC State
After the dominating win, the Knights were hit with an attitude adjustment against No. 10 NC State. At the beginning, Knights’ lower weights held their ground with a lot of Grit, as Smith tested No. 1 Vincent Robinson at 125 but fell by decision, keeping the score at a manageable 3-0. Shawver clapped back and won his bout by a decision, putting the scoreboard in a tie…