For the first time all season long, the undefeated Michigan wrestling team found itself in trouble. With just an 11-7 lead after five matches in Friday’s dual meet at Michigan State, the Wolverines knew they needed a spark.
So they turned to Cam Amine.
In the third period, the 165-pound redshirt junior flipped the dual on its head, securing a late takedown to put himself in position for victory over Caleb Fish. No. 3 Michigan (6-0 overall, 1-0 Big Ten) defeated No. 21 Michigan State (7-1, 0-1), 25-10. The win continued its 13-year win streak over the Spartans.
But even in victory, there were some close calls for the Wolverines facing off against a Michigan State team boasting its best start to since the 1973-74 season.
“I think (the Spartans’ hot streak) set the stage for an exciting start,” Michigan coach Sean Bormet said. “Just a great way to start a Big Ten season with an in-state rival team that’s having their strongest start in 50 years.”
And the contest certainly lived up to the hype.
At 125 pounds, graduate Jack Medley started off strong for Michigan. Medley rode a takedown in the second round to a decision victory, establishing a 3-0 lead for the Wolverines.
But after Michigan’s strong start, adversity struck.
No. 5 133-pound Dylan Ragusin suffered his first dual loss of the season, falling to Rayvon Foley in an upset. To make matters worse for the Wolverines, Ragusin lost in a major decision, which put the Spartans up 4-3.
The Wolverines refused to back down, though.
Led by No. 20 141-pound redshirt junior Cole Mattin, Michigan showcased its grit. Trailing 3-1 heading into the third period, Mattin exploded for 10 consecutive points. He landed two takedowns and a four-point near-fall to secure a major decision win for the Wolverines, a massive swing that the team needed desperately after Ragusin’s upset.
“Mattin came out and battled in his match,” Bormet said. “He got the momentum back in our favor.”
Will Lewan, however, was not so lucky. The No.8 157-pounder fell to Chase Saldate after being taken down in the overtime period. Suddenly, Michigan State was back in it, and so was the crowd.
Still, the Wolverines remained unfazed. Amine came out and stole a decision victory in a gutsy performance, and that was the last chance at a comeback the Spartans were going to get. As Amine fought off late takedown attempts with hand fighting, he all but secured Michigan’s victory.
“The louder, the more rowdy it gets, the more fun it is,” Bormet said. “On the biggest stage in our sport and the Big Ten conference, those are the kind of moments you’ve got to be excited about and you’ve got to thrive. And our guys did a great job of that tonight.”
But problems still arose. The Wolverines were able to pull away, but not without close calls. And against stiffer competition, Michigan might not be so lucky.
“It was definitely a really good team win,” Bormet said. “Obviously, we’ve got some scenarios, areas to address (for) some of the guys that won and some of the guys that didn’t win.”
Friday, though, those issues didn’t prevent the Wolverines from staying undefeated. Largely, they can thank Cam Amine for that outcome.