STATE COLLEGE — So far this season, the only intrigue for the No. 1 Penn State wrestling team has come from margins and records. The Nittany Lions (7-0, 1-0 Big Ten) recorded their fourth shutout of the current campaign Saturday in Rec Hall with a 46-0 drubbing of No. 16 Rutgers (6-3, 0-1) in the Big Ten opener for both teams.

With the win, Penn State’s 78th consecutive dual meet victory, the Nittany Lions set the all-time NCAA record, eclipsing the 77-match win streak set by Division II St. Cloud State.

While coach Cael Sanderson and his wrestlers eschew emphasizing wins and losses and emphasize improvement, even he took time to reflect on his team setting a new standard.

“I’ve said a few times I think it’s really cool for Penn State to have that record now, and that’s something that hopefully lasts for a while. It’s pretty special,” he said.

“It’s not something we’re really going to think about, or did think about, or we’re concerned about in any way. I mean, we’re trying to move our feet out there and clear ties and take care of the little things,” Sanderson added. “I think looking back, these guys will appreciate it more when they’re my age, or half of my age. It’ll be something that they’ll be proud that they were part of it.”

With half of Rutgers’ starting lineup missing, Penn State met minimal resistance in sweeping all 10 bouts and building a 31-2 advantage in takedowns.

The Nittany Lions assembled the 32nd shutout in Sanderson’s tenure with three falls, two technical falls, three major decisions and two decisions.

After a three-week break from competition for most of the team, the Nittany Lions showed no signs of rust.

“I thought they looked really good. It’s been a few weeks since we wrestled, right, most of them. I thought they wrestled good,” Sanderson said. “I mean, obviously Rutgers always is gonna have a scrappy guy at every weight, so you got to be ready to go. But yeah, I think our guys wrestled well. Pushed the pace a little bit and we’ll just keep getting better each match. That’s the plan.”

Shayne Van Ness (149 pounds), Mitchell Mesenbrink (165) and Levi Haines (174) recorded falls. P.J. Duke (157) and Josh Barr (197) rolled up technical falls. Marcus Blaze (133), Braeden Davis (141) and Rocco Welsh posted major decisions. Luke Lilledahl (125) and Cole Mirasola (285) earned decisions.

Lilledahl was never threatened in an 8-3 decision over No. 29 Ayden Smith at 125. The Nittany Lion scored a takedown in the latter stages of the first period and added another on a decisive low leg takedown in the third to help engineer the win.

At 133, fifth-ranked Marcus Blaze continued his torrid debut season with a win over No. 24 Dylan Shawver, the 2025 Big Ten champion and All-American. Blaze, after a scoreless first, scored a takedown in the second and turned it on in the third, scoring two takedowns and adding an escape, stall point and riding time point for a dominating 12-2 major decision.

Braeden Davis made his season dual meet debut at 141 and looked impressive in the process. He converted three takedowns in the first period to open a 9-2 lead and then added two more in the third on his way to an 18-7 major decision.

Sanderson said the decision to burn Davis’s redshirt came as a result of starter Aaron Nagao sustaining another injury that will require surgery.

“I thought Davis looked really good,” he said, saying that Davis was preparing to step in for Nagao if the worst-case scenario played out. “Braeden’s ready to go. He’s a competitor. It’s nice having him in the lineup. He always competes hard.”

Top-ranked Shayne Van Ness continued to dominate at 149. After building a 12-3 led through one period, he reversed Devin Mangro, caught him in a reverse headlock also called an assassin and scored the pin in 4:54.

Much like his classmate Blaze, fourth-ranked P.J. Duke keeps dominating as he climbs his way up the 157-pound rankings. Against Rutgers’ Easton Doster, Duke showed off an array of takedowns, scoring five in the first to open a 15-4 lead. He escaped quickly picked up another to start the second and seal his 19-4 technical fall in just 3:18.

“It’s definitely pretty cool. I mean, I walked into the (consecutive dual meet win) record. Obviously, it’s my freshman year, so I wasn’t a part of all the stuff prior, but it’s just an amazing feeling to be a part of such a great and such a cool thing. I don’t even have words to describe how grateful I am to be a part of the team. And it’s just super cool that records come along with that stuff, but I’m just grateful,” Duke said.

With the Nittany Lions leading 22-0, No. 1 Mitchell Mesenbrink took the mat out of the break and added to the lead. After ceding the initial takedown to Ryan Ford, Mesenbrink escaped, took down Ford, turned him twice and then hooked up a crossface cradle and pinned him in 2:28.

Top-ranked 174-pounder Levi Haines kept the pin parade going. He scored four takedowns on Jordan Chapman before hooking up a bow and arrow and flattening him in 4:49.

At 184, fourth-ranked Rocco Welsh converted three doubles in the first period for a 9-2 lead and coasted to a 13-3 major decision over No. 15 Shane Cartagena-Walsh.

Barr, after winning the Southern Scuffle last weekend, made his season dual meet debut and picked up where he left off last season. Competing against high school teammate Remy Cotton, the transfer from Michigan State who is ranked No. 18, the top-ranked Barr dominated. He used four takedowns and added a four-point turn in his 18-3 technical fall in 7:00.

“Yeah, we trained. I had just told one of our coaches there. I probably spent more time wrestling him than anybody my whole life. He was my partner, like main partner, for four years straight. So, it was really cool to be able to do it in Rec Hall, Rutgers vs. Penn State. And just really grateful that I got to compete tonight. And it was pretty cool to do it against an old teammate,” Barr said.

Finally, at 285, Mirasola was able to counter a shot by No. 21 Hunter Catka and score a takedown with a minute to go in the third period for a 4-2 win.

Barr gave a little insight into Mirasola’s recent string of wins despite competing against guys who are bigger than he is.

“I think he’s getting a little bit meaner, honestly. Obviously, it’s no secret he’s a little bit smaller than the guys he’s wrestling, but I think he’s just kind of got that chip on his shoulder and he’s gonna go out there and fight guys. And when he’s going out there and fighting guys, he’s doing really well. He’s just a tough kid,” Barr said.

“I mean, he’s big and strong. I try to stay away from him, honestly. I don’t want to wrestle him because he’ll probably throw me into the wall. So, yeah, he’s a mean, tough kid, and he’s just gonna keep getting better and better as he competes.”

Penn State returns to action at 7 p.m. Friday at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, Iowa, against long-time rival Iowa.

No. 1 Penn State 46, No. 16 Rutgers 0

125: No. 2 Luke Lilledahl, PSU, dec. No. 29 Ayden Smith, 8-3. 133: No. 5 Marcus Blaze, PSU, maj. dec. No. 24 Dylan Shawver, 12-2. 141: Braeden Davis, PSU, maj. dec. Tahir Parkins, 18-7. 149: No. 1 Shayne Van Ness, PSU, pinned Devin Mangro, 4:54. 157: No. 4 P.J. Duke, PSU, won by tech. fall over Easton Doster,19-4 (3:18). 165: No. 1 Mitchell Mesenbrink, PSU, pinned Ryan Ford, 2:28. 174: No 1 Levi Haines, PSU, pinned Jordan Chapman, 4:49. 184: No. 4 Rocco Welsh, PSU, maj. dec. No. 15 Shane Cartagena-Welsh, 13-3. 197: No. 1 Josh Barr, PSU, won by tech. fall over No. 18 Remy Cotton, 18-3 (7:00). 285: No. 15 Cole Mirasola, dec. PSU, No. 21 Hunter Catka, 4-2.

Ridge Riley Award winner: Josh Barr.

Records: Rutgers (6-3, 0-1 Big Ten), Penn State (7-0, 1-0). Next match: Penn State at Iowa, 7 p.m. Friday.