Following No. 4 Iowa wrestling’s 23-16 loss against No. 9 Minnesota (9-4, 3-2 Big Ten) from Carver-Hawkeye Arena, Iowa head coach Tom Brands scolded the Hawkeyes‘ poor effort in several matches that contributed to the team’s eventual defeat.
Brands singled out two matches in which he observed Iowa not competing until the final horn of the period, saying that is unacceptable at Iowa.
“We had two matches where we had guys stop wrestling before the clock was done ticking. That cannot happen. That will not happen. That is not what we are about,” said Brands.
Iowa fell to 9-4 (2-2 Big Ten) with the setback against the Gophers.
Senior Drake Ayala won his match at 133 pounds, but Ayala was unhappy with the team’s overall result and defended Brands, who has been under scrutiny from many Hawkeye fans as of late.
“It hurts because that’s a direct reflection on me and my leadership. I think a lot of it gets put on Tom, but I think that’s bullcrap,” Ayala said.
Iowa will look to rebound on Feb. 6 against No. 2 Ohio State (15-0, 4-0 Big Ten) from the Covelli Center in Columbus, Ohio. That dual meet will begin on the Big Ten Network at 7 p.m. CT.
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This article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire: Iowa wrestling coach Tom Brands blasts poor effort vs. Minnesota
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