Sooners Rally Late to Stun No. 12 Rutgers

Saturday, December 13

Piscataway, NJ | Jersey Mike's Arena

7 PM

University of Oklahoma

Rutgers

Photo by: Rutgers Athletics

Sooners Rally Late to Stun No. 12 Rutgers

December 13, 2025 | Wrestling

By: OU Athletics Communications

PISCATAWAY, N.J. – In a dual that came down to the final bout Saturday night, the No. 20 Oklahoma wrestling team rallied late to knock off No. 12 Rutgers, 19-14, in an instant classic at Jersey Mike's Arena.

Trailing 14-6 through six bouts, the Sooners (3-1, 0-0 Big 12) again relied on their upperweights, who delivered must-win victories at 174, 184, 197 and 285 pounds over top-25 opponents to stun the Scarlet Knights (5-2, 0-0 Big Ten). The victory marked Oklahoma's fourth ranked dual win under head coach Roger Kish and the program's highest-ranked dual win since knocking off No. 3 Michigan on Nov. 22, 2015.

Leading off at 125 pounds, No. 25 Conrad Hendriksen put the Sooners on the board first with a 3-1 win over Rutgers' No. 29 Ayden Smith. Powered by a single-leg takedown in the closing seconds of the second period, the redshirt sophomore recorded his second ranked win in as many weeks after defeating Northern Illinois' two-time NCAA qualifier and 14th-ranked Blake West at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational on Dec. 5.

The final Sooner to score before the halfway intermission, No. 24 Tyler Wells controlled his bout at 141 pounds, using a first-period takedown and adding a third-period escape and stalling point to secure a 5-2 victory over Rutgers' Tahir Parkins.

Fresh off claiming a title at the Cliff Keen Invitational last week, No. 7 Carter Schubert kick-started Oklahoma's comeback in a top-10 showdown against No. 9 Lenny Pinto at 174 pounds. The redshirt sophomore, in the midst of a breakout season since bumping up from 157 last year, landed a double-leg takedown in the second period and pulled away with an escape and riding time point in the final frame to defeat Pinto, a three-time NCAA qualifier. The win marked Schubert's seventh straight dating back to Nov. 23.

In one of the most anticipated bouts of the night, No. 11 Brian Soldano returned to Jersey Mike's Arena, where he wrestled for Rutgers for three seasons before transferring to Oklahoma over the summer. The senior and New Jersey native delivered an unforgettable moment at 184 pounds against No. 15 Shane Cartagena-Walsh, breaking out of a tight scramble with 10 seconds remaining in the third period to score the decisive takedown and break a 6-6 tie. The win improved Soldano to 3-0 in duals this season and gave him a team-leading sixth ranked victory.

Putting together a dominant performance at 197 pounds, senior DJ Parker wasted no time, racking up a pair of takedowns and over two minutes of riding time against No. 18 Remy Cotton before cruising to a 16-3 major decision. The win marked Parker's team-leading 10th victory of the season and his sixth bonus-point win.

Leading 16-14, the dual was decided at heavyweight, where No. 25 Juan Mora faced No. 22 Hunter Catka. After Mora successfully fended off several single-leg attempts, neither wrestler scored through three periods, forcing sudden victory. The senior found himself on the winning side of a late scramble in the extra frame, securing an electrifying walk-off takedown to seal the comeback and deliver back-to-back dual wins over Big Ten opponents.

Elsewhere, Carter Schmidt dropped a 13-3 major decision to No. 13 Dylan Shawver at 133 pounds, Hunter Hollingsworth fell to No. 27 Andrew Clark, 2-1, at 149, Layton Schneider was majored by No. 26 Anthony White, 8-0, at 157, and Bryce Burkett came up short in sudden victory, 4-1, against Ryan Ford at 165.

UP NEXT

The Sooners face a quick turnaround as they make the short trip to Lawrenceville, N.J., to take on Rider in the back end of a weekend dual slate on Sunday, Dec. 14. First bout from Alumni Gym is scheduled for noon and will stream on ESPN+.

RESULTS

#20 Oklahoma 19, #12 Rutgers 14
125: No. 25 Conrad Hendriksen (OU) def. No. 29Ayden Smith (RU), Dec. 3-1 | OU 3, RU 0
133: No. 13 13 Dylan Shawver (RU) def. Carter Schmidt (OU), MD 13-3 | RU 4, OU 3
141: No. 24 Tyler Wells (OU) def. Tahir Parkins (RU), Dec. 5-2 | OU OU 6, RU 4
149: No. 27 Andrew Clark (RU) def. Hunter Hollingsworth (OU), Dec. 2-1 | RU 7, OU 6
157: No. 26 Anthony White (RU) def. Layton Schneider (OU), MD 8-0 | RU 11, OU 6
165: Ryan Ford (RU) def. Bryce Burkett (OU), SV-1 4-1 | RU 14, OU 6
174: No. 7 Carter Schubert (OU) def. No. 9 Lenny Pinto (RU), Dec. 5-1 | RU 14, OU 0
184: No. 11 Brian Soldano (OU) def. No. 15 Shane Cartagena-Walsh (RU), Dec. 9-6 | RU 14, OU 12
197: No. 9 DJ Parker (OU) def. No. 18 Remy Cotton (RU), MD 16-3 | OU 16, RU 14
HWT: No. 25 Juan Mora (OU) def. No. 22 Hunter Catka (RU), SV-1 5-2 | OU 19, RU 14