The score read like a betrayal of what had been one of the best regular seasons in Nebraska wrestling history.

But Iowa State benefited from a forfeit at 125 pounds and won three crucial upper weight matches to handily defeat the Cornhuskers 30-10 at NU Coliseum Sunday afternoon.

The loss ended NU’s bid to sweep all of its conference duals for the first time in program history. Nebraska took on the

Cyclones with 125-pounder Andy Pokorny, who failed to make weight, and third-ranked 174-pounder Brandon Browne, whose mother died Friday night. Browne’s brother, Cameron, is a backup 197-pounder for the Huskers.

“It’s a tough deal,” said NU coach Mark Manning, who took nearly a minute to answer the question. “We teach our kids that family is the most important thing.”

Even in his absence, Browne was still honored on Senior Day in front of raucous, involved crowd of 1,672, many of whom were wearing black. Sophomore Alex Ward, a 165-pounder, moved up a weight to take Browne’s place, but lost 19-7 to ISU’s Duke Burk. It was one of three major decisions for the Cyclones (14-3), who, with the forfeit, took what amounted to a 17-0 lead in the 157-pound match.

There, undefeated and No. 3 Jordan Burroughs won the Big Red’s first match of the day, dominating eighth-ranked Cyler Sanderson 12-3. No. 11 Vince Jones won the second, notching his fastest pin of the year with a 31-second fall over No. 18 Jerome Ward.

The rest of the afternoon belonged to Iowa State, whose No. 1 ranked wrestlers at 197 pounds and heavyweight, Jake Varner and David Zabriskie, nipped No. 2 Craig Brester and No. 15 Tucker Lane, respectively.

The Varner-Brester showdown was a rematch of Varner’s 10-3 win at the National Duals. On Brester’s home mat, the match was much closer, but Varner again prevailed 3-2 thanks to a takedown late in the third period.

“It was a learning experience,” Brester said. “I got a little bit closer…this tells me that I’m right there. That’s the best wrestler in my weight class.”

Brester nearly stole a win with a takedown at the buzzer, but needed a couple more seconds “a few more feet of mat.”

“I sure thought it was close in my head,” he said.

Zabriskie, meanwhile, avenged an earlier loss to Lane with a pedestrian 3-1 victory, in which he lucked into a takedown by staving off a solid double shot by Lane and crawling around his opponent’s flank to two points. Zabriskie took few shots otherwise and spent most of the match circling near his coach, wrestling legend Cael Sanderson.

ISU’s other tight victory came at 165, where No. 7 Jon Reader beat No. 6 Stephen Dwyer 7-4. Reader scored a reversal with 13 seconds left, then added two back points by nearly pinning Dwyer.

Reader’s win effectively sealed the win for the Cyclones (14-3), who should now enter the Big 12 Championships – held March 7 in the NU Coliseum – as the favorite. Nebraska (17-3-1) can more than match ISU’s strength in the upper weights, but the Clones will enjoy an advantage in the lower division.

Nevertheless, Manning said – bring on the postseason. The Huskers have been through their own crucible in the last seven months, from Manning kicking his two best lower weight wrestlers, Kenny Jordan and Paul Donohoe, off the team, to ensuing difficulties at 125, 133 and 141 pounds, to Burroughs moving up a weight class to the Browne brothers losing their mother. Through all that, NU stands legitimately poised to win the Big 12 title and make a run top three at the NCAA Championships, even if Iowa is presumed to easily win the crown.

“It’s been a trying, tough season,” Manning said. “But it’s made us tough.”

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