CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The No. 24 Illinois wrestling team is set for a doubleheader dual on Sunday, Nov. 19, in Huff Hall. The Orange and Blue will wrestle Central Michigan (CMU) at 2 p.m. and No. 21 North Carolina (UNC) at 4 p.m. The Chippewas and Tar Heels will wrestle each other first at noon CT.
The Illini own a 1-1 dual record with a 28-7 win over SIU-Edwardsville and a 23-18 loss to No. 30 Navy. True freshman Kannon Webster made his debut against Navy and won with a tech. fall over James Latona (NAVY), 20-5 (5:57). Redshirt junior Luke Luffman has two major decisions on the year already and leads the Illini with eight dual points scored.
SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS
CMU is currently 0-1 in duals on the season. They hosted No. 21 Oklahoma on Nov. 9 and were defeated, 29-11. Last season, the Chippewas finished 6-10 overall (5-1 MAC) and earned second in the Mid-American Conference Championships (MAC). The overall record between these two squads is 1-1, with the first meeting in 1992. The last time the Illini and Chippewas toed the line was on Feb. 16, 2014, when the Illini were defeated, 19-13.
No. 21 UNC boasts a 4-1 dual record on the season already with wins over Queens, Greensboro College, Buffalo and Arizona State. Their lone loss came against Oregon State. Last season, the Tar Heels went 6-9 overall (2-3 ACC) and placed fourth in the ACC Championships. Illinois holds a 5-1 record over UNC all-time, with the first meeting dating back to 1985. In the last three meetings, Illinois has only surrendered 21 total points across those three duals. On Nov. 12, 2011, they won 32-9; Nov. 15, 2008, they won 26-9; and on Jan. 13, 2007, they won 32-3.
Former Tar Heel and current Illini assistant coach Austin O'Connor won his third ACC Championship and second NCAA Championship with UNC last year. They will be presenting him with his National Championship ring before the Illinois and UNC dual.
