Coach Neil Erisman expressed optimism earlier in the week. He knew his University of Arkansas-Little Rock team was going to be up against it facing a Cal Poly side -- one featuring six ranked wrestlers -- that just missed out on the top 25 in the latest national rankings.
But Erisman hoped his team could end a run of nearly 800 days without a home dual win, a stretch dating to Nov. 24, 2019, when UALR met Northern Illinois in the second of two matches Sunday.
The Huskies weren't going to allow their names to be infamously etched into Trojan history.
UALR dropped a pair of duals at the Jack Stephens Center, getting shut out 40-0 against Cal Poly in a Pac-12 matchup, before Northern Illinois routed the Trojans 35-6. Only two UALR wrestlers won their individual matchups on the afternoon as Jaylen Carson and Triston Willis picked up decisions against the Huskies at 133 and 174 pounds, respectively.
Although Erisman conceded frustration afterward, he again emphasized progress for a program that's still in the midst of only its third season.
"You want [another home win] but you can't let desperation be what you feel," Erisman said. "You want that moment for our guys, for our fans so badly. But ... I said this from the beginning, you have to celebrate the small things here in our situation. If you don't, it will become desperate, it will become daunting.
"We made adjustments and we wrestled better, but we just didn't finish executing what we made adjustments on. And you've got to do that to win."
The Trojans were competing shorthanded, forfeiting at 157 and 285 pounds in both duals. While UALR (1-9, 0-4 Pac-12) lost its first four matchups against Cal Poly (2-1, 1-1) and then forfeited to go down 18-0, the Trojans had opportunities against Northern Illinois.
Jayden Carson dropped a 5-3 decision in the opener at 125 pounds, but brother Jaylen followed up with a 6-3 win to level things at three team points apiece.
Conner Ward then was taken down in the third period of the 141-pound match, losing a 4-1 decision, and Joey Bianchi surrendered five late points at 149 pounds, losing 7-4 after getting reversed in the third period.
What could've been a 9-3 UALR lead swung quickly toward the Huskies. Northern Illinois (5-8) went up 15-3 on the Trojans' 157-pound forfeit and then added four more points on a major decision against 165-pounder Tyler Brennan.
Redshirt sophomore Triston Wills provided one late bright spot for the Trojans, notching a takedown inside the final 30 seconds of his bout at 174 pounds to make it 19-6. The victory over No. 23 Mason Kauffman was Wills' third ranked win of the season.
But an impressive pin from Husky redshirt senior Brit Wilson, the No. 19 wrestler at 184 pounds, ended any chances of a UALR comeback.
The Trojans will get one more shot to end their 13-dual home losing skid this season, next Sunday against No. 12 Arizona State.
With only three regular-season matchups until the Pac-12 Championships on March 5 in Tempe, Ariz., Erisman is focused on ensuring that his group can build on the progress it has shown at points this year.
"When you're watching wrestling and you see our guys moving forward and putting our opponents' butts toward the edge of the mat, when we did that today, we usually won the takedown," Erisman said. "We need to continue to move forward and march people down and attack them. When we do that, nothing but good things happen."
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NoneCal Poly 40, UALR 0
125: Antonio Lorenzo (Cal Poly) dec. Jayden Carson (UALR), 5-4
133: Abe Hinrichsen (Cal Poly) dec. Jaylen Carson (UALR), 8-1
141: Lawrence Saenz (Cal Poly) dec. Conner Ward (UALR), 4-1
149: Legend Lamer (Cal Poly) dec. Joseph Bianchi (UALR), 6-1
157: Brawley Lamer (Cal Poly) win by forfeit
165: Evan Wick (Cal Poly) dec. Tyler Brennan (UALR), 6-1
174: Adam Kemp (Cal Poly) dec. Triston Wills (UALR), 4-1
184: Bernie Truax (Cal Poly) technical fall Brayden Dillow (UALR), 18-3
197: Trent Tracy (Cal Poly) technical fall Brooks Sacharcyzk (UALR), 16-0
285: Sam Aguilar (Cal Poly) win by forfeit
Northern Illinois 35, UALR 6
125: Bryce West (NIU) dec. Jayden Carson, 5-3
133: Jaylen Carson dec. Mikey Kaminski (NIU), 6-3
141: Jaivon Jones (NIU) dec. Ward, 4-1
149: Anthony Cheloni (NIU) dec. Bianchi, 7-4
157: Anthony Gibson (NIU) win by forfeit
165: No. 16 Izzak Olejnik (NIU) major dec. Brennan, 9-0
174: Wills dec. Mason Kauffman (NIU), 4-1
184: No. 19 Brit Wilson (NIU) fall Dillow, 3:34
197: Tristan Guaman (NIU) major dec. Sacharcyzk, 11-3
285: Terrese Aaron (NIU) win by forfeit