Iowa men’s wrestling fans yet again filed out of Carver-Hawkeye Arena in disappointment before the final match even began, as the Hawkeyes fell to No. 9 Minnesota, 21-16. It was the first time Iowa lost to the Gophers since 2014, when they took down the Hawkeyes, 19-15, in Iowa City.
The story was the same as always for the four total Iowa dual losses this season — a lack of offense. That’s not going to be the main focus of my column this time, since it’s become a redundant point this season.
The “Iowa Style” has become outdated. College wrestling has adapted, and it’s not the early 2000s anymore. Outside of the first few months of my life, I haven’t seen Iowa wrestling without Tom Brands at the helm. It’s clear Brands carried on Dan Gable’s philosophy, and it worked well at first, until others started adapting.
Most college wrestling teams have an articulated way of attacking, forcing opponents into vulnerable, uncomfortable situations to secure takedowns. Wrestling has become so focused on technicality with moves and defense that simply having a “go, go, go” mindset doesn’t work; it only puts you into situations to be taken advantage of.
In the six matches lost against Minnesota, the Hawkeye wrestlers didn’t record a single takedown. Simply put, when Iowa’s style is countered by technical, sound wrestling, it’s much more difficult to adjust.
A lot of blame gets put on Brands for the Iowa struggles this season, and while even he has said everything starts with him, his wrestlers understand they have to hold their end of the bargain, too.
“It hurts because that’s a direct reflection on me and my leadership,” senior Drake Ayala said about the loss to Minnesota. “I think a lot of it gets put on Tom [Brands], but I think that’s bullcrap. I think it’s just as much my fault as it is his fault.”
Brands turned to his usual philosophy when asked about what went wrong, saying some wrestlers stopped competing before the whistle blew.
“We had two matches where we had guys stop wrestling before the clock was done ticking,” Brands said. “That cannot happen. That will not happen. That’s not what we’re about.”
Brands is right, that’s not what Iowa is about. Effort is always the No. 1 priority in wrestling, and it wasn’t always there for the Hawkeyes on Friday night. But the issue clearly runs deeper than that, because effort is easily correctable, but we’ve seen the same problems all season.
It’s easy to watch the Hawkeyes wrestle and say, “Why don’t they just shoot?” The only answer I can give you is that it’s not that easy. Wrestlers have developed a knack for great defense, eliminating the entire basis of the Iowa style and forcing the Hawkeyes to also wrestle defensively.
College wrestlers have also learned to time their attacks when they sense fatigue in their opponents, which is where Iowa has been exposed all season. When they are taught to constantly attack, they get worn down when the attacks don’t work, leaving them wide open for counters.
In no way am I questioning the knowledge or expertise of Dan Gable or the Brands brothers, because that style worked from the 1970s to the early 2000s. The main issue is that the sport is adapting, and the Iowa style isn’t. And until that style is molded to fit what college wrestling has become, we’ll likely see the same results for the Hawkeyes moving forward.