NORMAN — Oklahoma's Josh Weitzel isn't much into setting tones. He just wants to win wrestling matches the best way he can.
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That's what Weitzel did Thursday night in No. 17-ranked Oklahoma's stunning 18-15 upset of No. 3 Oklahoma State at McCasland Field House. The last time OU beat OSU was December 1995. The Cowboys had won each of the last 19 meetings and were favored to make it 20. After all, OSU hammered the Sooners 21-9 on Dec. 2 in Stillwater.
Weitzel set the table for the upset. The dual began at 184 pounds, and Weitzel pinned OSU's Jack Jensen at 2:18 to give the Sooners a 6-0 lead.
"My focus was on wrestling,” Weitzel said. "I wasn't thinking about setting the tempo.”
Weitzel didn't even know he got the pin, though he thought he was getting close.
"When Mr. (Kenny) Ritchie called the pin, I didn't know I had it,” Weitzel said of the referee. "I was a little shocked. He (Jensen) was still rocking back and forth. I know it was a good way to start for us.”
Weitzel was far from the only key for the Sooners, who split the individual matches 5-5 with the Cowboys. True freshman Joey Fio upset Tyler Shinn at 125 pounds, 3-2. Shinn had beaten Fio in their first meeting this season in Stillwater. Fio scored a first-period takedown, but Shinn tied it 2-2 on an escape in the second period. Fio won on an escape with 1:50 left in the third. He was inspired before his match.
"When your team is winning, you're stoked. It makes you want to wrestler harder.” Fio said. "I felt like I was pretty pumped up and ready to go.”
OU received wins from Will Rowe (149), Chad Terry (157) and Joel Flaggert (197), but maybe just as big was one of the Sooners who lost. Junior Chris DeVilbiss (174) was pressed into action this week after starter Jeff James tore knee ligaments last week against Cal Poly. The relatively unknown DeVilbiss, who considered quitting the team last fall, met No. 8-ranked Brandon Mason in the final match of the night.
His task, with OU clinging to an 18-12 lead: Don't get pinned. Oklahoma coach Jack Spates stepped away from the bench to talk to him beforehand. DeVilbiss lost 7-0, but he didn't give up a pin that would have secured a tie for the Cowboys.
"I told him to be a hero,” Spates said. "We knew he couldn't go to his back. Mason is a big strong kid, and we knew he had to keep fighting on bottom. He had a chance to be a hero, and he was.”
Oklahoma State had wins from Coleman Scott (133), Nathan Morgan (141), Jake Dieffenbach (165) and Jared Rosholt (heavyweight). But none picked up the bonus points that might have made a difference in the team score.
"I thought we did the bare minimum to win, and it showed,” OSU coach John Smith said. "We've had a little bit of a sorry attitude in the room the last two days. I think I was the only guy who didn't overlook it. But give OU credit. They pinned us at 184, and they upset us at 125 and they gutted out wins at 149 and 157.”
Smith said he hopes his team understands what it did wrong in the loss.
"I think this is a good wake up call,” Smith said. "If it's not, it could be a long postseason for us.”
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Congrats to OU although I am saddened that my cowboys couldn't pull this one out. Hopefully the cowboys will see this as a wake up call that they have to do a little more than just win matches, they need bonus points too. And Craig, I can assure you Coach Smith probably had those boys run back to Stillwater or at least worked them out pretty hard when they got back.
Congratulations to the OU Wrestling Team!!! And, in response to an earlier post. OSU has won the same number of NCAA football championships as OU - ZERO. That's right NONE!!! If you insist on looking at the MNC, then OSU has won ONE of them in football.
OU athletics would be OU athletics without the Gaylords. Not sure OSU athletics would be what they are without Pickens. And, might I say, I don't have a single problem with that... as long as everyone admits it, and we just move on. I mean, the OU college of journalism... that that is something at OU that wouldn't be what it is without the Gaylords.
Craig in Oklahoma City....can't let this pass...you
say Gaylord U ? nothing like being called Pickens State......The Gaylord's haven't bought the place,
lock, stock and barrel like the Holdenville flash.
I always try to read the wrestling coverage and this is the first time that I've ever seen more than one or two comments. It's good to see some fight from the Gaylord U fans after winning their first Bedlam contest of the millenium and the first since the Big XII was formed. I'd bet Coach Smith had our guys running back to Stillwater after that loss.
It is news as it is really a rarity. How cool that it finally happened. May not happen again for 13 more years but it was nice to see it happen. Now let's continue bedlam with a win tomorrow. GO SOONERS
Mike, before last night OU had not won since 1995. The last 5 years the scores were 29-6, 17-5, 23-12, 21-12, 18-13, 21-16, 23-12, 26-10, 23-16, & 38-3 all in favor of OSU.
WOW! What a win. I wish I could have been there to see it. Wrestling above the high school level is not very big in Florida. I have set through a lot of irritating losses to OSU over the years. This is great! I hope we close the gap with O-State and become more competitive. OSU believes they can compete with us in football, we should have the same thought in wrestling. Whatever happens in the future, it is time to enjoy this victory over the school all other wrestling programs are measure by.
Didn't OU beat OSU just a few years ago (2 or 3 maybe) in Norman? I thought I was at that match and saw them upset us. It was like 19-18 and I don't think it was 13 years ago.
J- maybe I should remind you that OSU has 48 total national championships versus 18 for OU. OSU has 30 national championships in wrestling. Since you obviously don't know crap, you should just shut your mouth.
I am in complete shock. I only wish I was there to see it. I remember the closest thing I had ever seen to a win was a loss in stillwater in '02 when OSU pulled it out 18-15. Jared Frayer was heavily favored in the 149 match and was beaten, it then kind of set the tone. I also remember going to vomit fests, like in the late 90's when we lost to them 31-3. Michael Lightner was our only win that day. Still though, I feel this is far to little far too late. I would love nothing more than to see Spates gone at the end of the year.
That's fine Joe....my memories go way back before
Wayne Wells, like the 50's, watching Danny Hodge
destroy everone he wrestled. A friend and I crawled
in a window at the National Guard Armory in Tulsa in
1956 and watched Hodge, Doug Blubaugh (OSU) and the other greats compete in the 1956 National AAU tournament. Thoes guys were great to watch......
Matt - thanks for the support here and Manny thanks for the memories. I too remember those events I ysed to attend all the matches and even the ones in Stillwater. The crowds were larger then too. any sport will be better supported when you are on top and you beat your greatest rival fairly often. Just look at the crowds OSU draw. They quite often have nearly as many attend the matches in Norman. speaking Wells. Now this goes back some but my brother beat him for a state championship in junior high. Oh what could only be.
Matt in Oklahoma City, I think Joe C. cares about
every program at OU, it probably is giving the ax
to Spates. Spates was quoted in the Tulsa World
saying "probably the biggest failure in my tenure
is bedlam". Jack your goal is not beating OSU, your
goal is trying to win National Championships, which
hasn't been done at OU since 1974. You do that and
winning bedlam will take care of itself.
I well remember those glory days when we did more than give OSU a run for its money. I was at OU when Wayne Wells used to swing from the basketball irons before his match, to psych himself up and his opponent out. Not that he needed to. I remember Granny Liggins riding Ted Tuenstra in the Big Eight Finals. I remember a skinny kid from Long Island who was thrown into the breach against Dan Gable, and who actually took Gable down twice before the roof fell in. I remember how we used to go for the fall while the Cowboys used to play the edges of the mat. Beating OSU is a wonderful thing. Winter though it be, I smile.
Matt - you are correct. Very few really give a tinkers damn about wrestling. And it is a rather lackluster sport to watch, unless you've actually been a wrestler or had family members who were. But still OSU find enough desire to put forth the effort required to annually have a top notch program and beat OU consistently. So it is important to some folks I suppose. And by the way I care about both football and wrestling. And no I don't really think Spates will be fired. History normally repeats itself. A wrestling blog is weird, huh.
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OSU's Jack Jensen, left, wrestles OU's Joshua Weitzel at 184 pounds during the Bedlam wrestling dual at McCasland Field House in Norman on Thursday. Weitzel won the match with a fall. OU won the dual, 18-15. by NATE BILLINGS, THE OKLAHOMANOKLAHOMA 18OKLAHOMA STATE 15125: Joey Fio, OU, dec. No. 14 Tyler Shinn, 3-2
133: Coleman Scott, OSU, dec. Brian Shelton, 7-2
141: Nathan Morgan, OSU, dec. Zack Bailey, 5-4
149: Will Rowe, OU dec. Ryan Freeman, 7-2
157: Chad Terry, OU dec. Neil Erisman, 4-0
165: Jake Dieffenbach, OSU vs. Max Dean, 7-3
174: Brandon Mason, OSU vs. Chris Devilbiss, 7-0
184: Joshua Weitzel, OU pinned Jack Jensen, 2:18
197: Joel Flaggert, OU dec. Clayton Foster, 9-6
285: Jared Rosholt, OSU, dec. Nathan Fernandez, 8-3
OU's Joel Flaggert, left, takes down OSU's Clayton Foster in the 197-pound weight class during the Bedlam wrestling dual between Oklahoma State and Oklahoma at McCasland Field House in Norman on Thursday. Flaggert won this match with a decision. OU won the dual, 18-15. by NATE BILLINGS, THE OKLAHOMAN
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say Gaylord U ? nothing like being called Pickens State......The Gaylord's haven't bought the place,
lock, stock and barrel like the Holdenville flash.
Catholic.
Wayne Wells, like the 50's, watching Danny Hodge
destroy everone he wrestled. A friend and I crawled
in a window at the National Guard Armory in Tulsa in
1956 and watched Hodge, Doug Blubaugh (OSU) and the other greats compete in the 1956 National AAU tournament. Thoes guys were great to watch......
every program at OU, it probably is giving the ax
to Spates. Spates was quoted in the Tulsa World
saying "probably the biggest failure in my tenure
is bedlam". Jack your goal is not beating OSU, your
goal is trying to win National Championships, which
hasn't been done at OU since 1974. You do that and
winning bedlam will take care of itself.