The #13 Cyclone Wrestlers will be making their season debut this weekend with a road trip through South and North Dakota. The weekend starts with a Friday night visit to Big XII affiliate #26 South Dakota State, which is coached by ISU alums Chris Bono and Jon Reader. And it ends with another conference dual on Sunday afternoon in Fargo against unranked North Dakota State.

Due to a combination of injuries, weight class movement, and eligibility quirks the Cyclones will not have their end of season lineup on display this weekend. So these duals will be a lot closer than they probably need to be. Though on the upside they will provide a chance for some youngsters to state their case for a spot in the lineup.

SDSU

Where: Brookings, South Dakota

When: 7PM Friday, November 4th

Stream: Flowrestling

Projected Lineups

Key Matches

133

Nathan Boston took Earl Hall to overtime during wrestleoffs last week. On Friday he’ll get the chance to prove that match wasn’t just the result of familiarity between workout partners. He’ll be the underdog in the match against Gross, who holds a unanimous preseason top ten ranking. But if he can pick up a win he’ll show that he’s finally settled in to his natural weight and has a legitimate shot at taking the 133 spot from Hall.

149

This is a key match just because it is likely the first opportunity we’ll have to see Chase Straw compete in an ISU singlet. Alex Kocer is unranked but a returning NCAA qualifier so a win here would be a great way for Chase to show that he’s the guy he was expected to be when he was recruited.

Prediction

South Dakota State has some excellent coaching and a couple of top ranked wrestlers. With Iowa State being shorthanded to start the season this is unlikely to be a blowout but the Cyclones should still be solid throughout the lineup and pull away with a 20-14 type victory due to strong performances from the upperweights.

NDSU

Where: Fargo, North Dakota

When: 2PM Sunday, November 6th

TV: BEK Communications

Projected Lineups

Key Matches

141

Umlauf isn’t likely to be a terribly tough opponent for Moreno in this match. But Moreno is both recovering from an offseason surgery and a weight cut down from 149. So it’ll be interesting to see how his shoulder holds up and how he is able to perform with the bigger cut. A major decision or better would be a good sign that Moreno is back to form this season

Every Other Match

This is pretty broad, but true. NDSU should generally be overmatched by the Cyclones on Sunday. A strong performance that shows our big guns can wrestle multiple events over the course of a weekend and that our new guys are as good as advertised will be a great sign for the season ahead.

Prediction

While SDSU is likely to be a close one this one should never be in doubt. Iowa State should run away with this one in a 24-10 or so victory.

Next Up:

The Cyclones will be back on the mat next weekend at the Harold Nichols Open in Ames.