There were plenty of rule changes that went into effect this collegiate season for athletes and coaches to grasp before the action started hitting the mat with duals on Nov. 1.

The purpose of many of these scoring changes was to see an increase in scoring and activity. 

Coming off a fifth straight ACC Championship last year, the NC State Wolfpack is one squad that welcomes the chance to light up the scoreboard a bit more now.

“Offensive takedowns are obviously going to get rewarded, and if you are good on top you can now get a set of two, three or four points this year,” said head coach Pat Popolizio as he enters his 12th year at the helm of the program. “If you are good in both of those positions, you are going to win a lot of matches at the college level (with the new scoring rules). 

“We are confident we can score both on our feet and on the mat. So, if we can’t find a takedown from our feet, we feel confident starting on top and getting a turn.”

It has been only a small sample size, but the Pack outscored its first two dual opponents last week 88-3 (48-0 vs. Presbyterian and 40-3 at Appalachian State). NC State won 19 of those 20 bouts, with 14 going for bonus points (four pins, eight tech falls, one major decision and one forfeit).

In the 15 matches that did not end via pin or forfeit, NC State’s wrestlers averaged 13.2 points per bout.

“Our team is a real offensive team, that is something we preach,” Popolizio said. “We expect our guys to go out there and score points and ultimately put on a show for anybody that is watching.”

Popolizio was quick to point out that the season is only a week in, and different officials may call bouts a bit different when it comes to some of the more objective new rules.

“We are going to have to get through about a month of the season to make adjustments to the new scoring rules,” Popolizio said. “If you are winning by three now after a takedown, you can afford to take a stall call. 

“I do think it is going to add a little bit of stress to guys to know you might have to let guys up or be willing to hit with a stall. This is one that we are going to have to feel out and see how the officials are calling it.”

The Battle at 165

NC State returns a veteran lineup from last year, as none of the starters exhausted their college eligibility. The Pack has four returning starters that won an individual ACC title last season, and six wrestlers on the roster overall that have won a conference championship over the last two seasons.

In mid-November, it appears just one weight class is still up for grabs as the season heads into full swing – 165 pounds.

The Pack has been looking for a long-term replacement at the weight since former five-year starter Thomas Bullard concluded his career two seasons.

Last year was a back-and-forth battle going down to the end of the season. True freshman Matty Singleton got the starting spot at the ACC Championship but did not earn a bid to the NCAA Championships.

This summer, Singleton brought home a bronze medal at the U20 World Championships at 79 kg. Following the tournament, Singleton had surgery on his hand and will not be cleared to wrestle until the second semester. The plan for NC State right now is to redshirt Singleton and have him work his way up to 174 pounds for next season.

The battle for the starting spot at 165 pounds for the 2023-24 season will be between redshirt junior A.J. Kovacs and redshirt sophomores Derek Fields Luke Ahrberg.

“They say iron sharpens iron,” Popolizio said. “I think this competition will motivate all three of those guys to continue to get better. The goal for us would be as the season progresses, is to have one of these guys separate themselves from the rest.

“We are going to let these guys compete and get some matches under their belts. We will be looking at their training, but just as important (are) their upcoming results.”

Kovacs enters his fourth year in the program but missed all last season with a knee injury. He has previously seen action from 149 all the way up to 174 for his career. Fields was in the competition with Singleton for the starting spot last season and went 6-6. He was previously a top-50 recruit nationally. Ahrberg will be making his way up from 157 pounds where he went 11-3 last year, and he did start the Pack’s ACC dual with Duke at 165 pounds and recorded a 7-2 decision.

“We have to see how these guys compete outside of against each other,” Popolizio said. “We talked about that as a staff going into our wrestle-offs. We told them it was something to get them ready for what is ahead, but more importantly I wanted to see how those guys would compete when we start matching up with some tougher competition that is not NC State.”

The Pack held its wrestle-offs back on October 27. Fields started the competition with an 11-2 major decision over Aaron Faison, and Kovacs posted a 4-3 decision over Ahrberg. The championships match went to OT tied 1-1, and Kovas went upper body for a takedown and two-point near fall to down Fields, 6-1. 

“I’m looking for (someone) who really wants this spot,” Popolizio said. “A.J. had that pair of wins at the wrestle-offs, so he gets the first couple of nods in the lineup. I think this weekend when we head up to PA, I’m hoping we get an idea of who is more consistent against outside competition. That is ultimately what we as a staff are looking for.”

Kovacs got the starting nod in each of NC State’s first two duals. He claimed an 18-1 tech fall over Presbyterian and then made the comeback at Appalachian State, 5-4.

“We want to see who can get a win over a higher ranked guy that is not from NC State,” Popolizio said. “That is what these guys need to do. They need to go out and beat some of the top guys in the country to secure a spot in this lineup. 

“Over the next few months, we have plenty of competition to do that. I see that as how we will judge who the guy at 165 pounds will be. I want to be able to say, ‘You beat the #5 guy in the country, it’s going to be really hard to pull you out of our lineup’.”

Up Next

The Wolfpack will have a full weekend of action in Bethlehem, Pa., this weekend.

On Saturday, NC State will be dual action at the Wranglemania event. The day will start with a noon dual against Bloomsburg and then a 4 p.m. dual versus Purdue.

The marque battle in the NCSU-Purdue dual is at 125 pounds with #8 Jakob Camacho vs. #1 Matt Ramos. Camacho missed all last season with a knee injury, while Ramos pinned Spencer Lee at last year’s NCAA Championships en route to reaching the finals and was the consensus preseason top-ranked wrestler in the weight class.

The two have not met in a collegiate match, but they met in the 2022 U.S. World Team Trials Challenge Tournament semifinals with Camacho claiming an 11-7 win in freestyle that day.

“Camacho has a really challenging schedule ahead of him this season,” Popolizio said. “It was good for him to get in a match ahead of this weekend, where we could see him going up against a returning NCAA finalist. That is one I know we are hopeful to see this weekend.”

Then on Sunday, the Pack will have multiple participants compete in the Journeymen Collegiate Classic. The individual round-robin event features squads from Penn State, Cornell, Arizona State, Penn, Lehigh, Army, and Purdue among others.