The dual meet against No. 8 Ohio State did not go the way that Gable Steveson and his teammates wanted on Friday night at Maturi Pavilion, but the finish sure did.
Steveson, the defending NCAA heavyweight champion and Olympic gold medalist, manhandled the Buckeyes' Tate Orndorff, ranked No. 13 in the final match, winning 19-4 on a technical fall with 51 seconds still left in the second period.
That victory improved Steveson's record at Minnesota's home venue to 20-0 for his career. It was the senior's last match there, so the crowd gave him a standing ovation even before his match began.
"It's a weird feeling this is the last time. … [But] big guys always come here and succeed," Steveson said in a postmatch interview on Big Ten Network, referring to the Gophers' past success at his weight. "I'm looking forward to keep winning and doing my thing."
Most fans, of course, stayed to watch him, even though the match was decided. The final score: Ohio State 24, Gophers 14.
No. 14 Minnesota won only three other matches — Jake Gliva won 4-1 at 133 pounds, Isaiah Salazar 10-8 at 184 and Michial Foy 5-2 at 197 — and suffered what could be a huge blow for the rest of the season.
Brayton Lee, ranked No. 4 at 157 for Minnesota, lost on an injury default. He tried to brace himself as he was falling and hurt one of his arms or hands.
Steveson, as usual, put on a show. He is 10-0 this season, scoring bonus points in every match.
