Surber Becomes Bedlam Legend with Sudden Pin to Nail Oklahoma

(Reid Romine and Oklahoma State University Athletic Media Relations contributed to this story.)

NORMAN – The Cowboys streak of 15 wins in a row in Bedlam wrestling was in danger as they had trailed throughout the dual in the McCasland Fieldhouse on the Oklahoma campus, but with the Sooners celebrities out and front and center Oklahoma State staged a comeback that counted. It finished with a dramatic first period fall in the final match at 197-pounds, but before Luke Surber got his moment of Bedlam immortality there was some serious work to come back from the 12-4 defecit the Cowboys had dug for themselves.

Following intermission, Kaden Gfeller got Oklahoma State back on track with a 7-1 decision over No. 29 Jacob Butler. Gfeller used a reversal in which he caught Butler on his back for a four-point near fall to separate the score in the second period on his way to a comfortable win.

Following a close Sooner victory at 165 pounds, the upper weights for the Pokes came up big winning the final three matches to close the score on the Sooners and set Surber for his heroics. Beginning at 174 pounds, Dustin Plott was dominant in a 21-6 technical fall over No. 19 Darrien Roberts.

Travis Wittlake followed Plott with a takedown in sudden victory to clinch a 6-4 decision over No. 29 Greyden Penner to tie the match at 15 heading into the final bout.

"In those first five matches at some weights it looked like a bit of a repeat from Minnesota losing those tight matches," head coach John Smith said. "We knew what we needed to do. We needed to win four out of the five after the showing we had in those first five weights. That's what we did. We went out and won four out of five to win the dual." 

Wittlake’s win to tie the dual at 15-15 set the stage for Surber as he wrestled former Oklahoma State Cowboy Keegan Moore.

Surber stacked Moore up from the get-go and got in postion to put him and keep him on his back. He worked it and worked before the official slapped the mat at 34 seconds into the first period to give the Oklahoma State wrestling team its 16th straight win over the Sooners, 21-15.
 
"I knew I was going to have to win to win the dual," Surber said. "I went out and got in on my shot and went for the cradle and he rolled onto his back. I had him pinned like five times probably."

After Oklahoma soared early with particularly disappointing losses at heavyweight in overtime and then at 125 and 141-pounds, the losses at heavyweight and 149-pounds came in overtime periods. The only win before the midway mark was a dominating one at 133-pounds by Daton Fix. The No. 2-ranked Fix won a 14-5 major decision.

Oklahoma State will be off until the Southern Scuffle on Jan. 1-2 in Chattanooga, Tenn. The next dual match for the Cowboys will come on Jan. 8 when they travel to Corvallis to take on Oregon State.
No. 12 Oklahoma State 21, Oklahoma 15
Dec. 11, 2022 I McCasland Field House I Norman, Okla.
Attendance: 3,150
HWT: No. 17 Josh Heindselman (OU) dec. No. 25 Konner Doucet (OSU), TB-1 2-1
125: No. 16 Joey Prata (OU) dec. No. 8 Trevor Mastrogiovanni (OSU), 4-2
133: No. 2 Daton Fix (OSU) MD No. 30 Wyatt Henson (OU), 14-5
141: No. 28 Mosa Schwartz (OU) dec. No. 21 Carter Young (OSU), 8-6
149: No. 15 Mitch Moore (OU) dec. No. 18 Victor Voinovich (OSU), SV-1 3-1
157: No. 9 Kaden Gfeller (OSU) dec. No. 29 Jacob Butler (OU), 7-1
165: No. 21 Gerrit Nijenhuis (OU) dec. No. 20 Wyatt Sheets (OSU), 6-5
174: No. 4 Dustin Plott (OSU) TF No. 19 Darrien Roberts (OU), 21-6, 6:39
184: No. 16 Travis Wittlake (OSU) dec. No. 29 Greyden Penner (OU), SV-1 6-4
197: No. 29 Luke Surber (OSU) fall No. 28 Keegan Moore (OU), 0:34