Like many of MSU’s opponents this season, Minnesota comes into the match with ranked wrestlers in nearly every weight class, highlighted by sophomore Jayson Ness, who is ranked No. 1 in the 125-pound weight class and boasts a 24-0 record.

Senior captain Joe Williams, who is ranked No. 15 nationally at 197-pounds, said that the team isn’t talking about who they wrestle, but how they wrestle.

Williams said in the past the Spartans have watched video on teams, but this season they have been more concerned about what they can do during a match, not what their opponents can do.

“We’re focusing on what we’re going to do, and if we lose and we wrestled hard there’s really no shame in that,” Williams said. “The shame is when you don’t wrestle and you hold back and you don’t do everything you could have done to win the match.”

Let’s get ready to rumble

When Minkel looks at pairings in the 133-pound weight class in tonight’s match against Minnesota he doesn’t see just another match, he sees the match of the weekend — nationally.

That’s because the match will feature two of the top five wrestlers in the country.

Sophomore Franklin Gomez, ranked No. 5 with a 16-1 record, takes on Golden Gophers senior Mack Reiter, who is ranked No. 2.

“One quality that Franklin has is that he’s not afraid of anybody and he doesn’t get too concerned about somebody’s ranking or their status,” Minkel said. “We know Reiter is very, very good, but at the same time Franklin’s very, very good, too, and it should be a heck of a match.”

The mind-set Gomez is taking into the match is the same approach the rest of the Spartans have taken throughout the season — to worry about himself.

“I need to be focused on my offense, not to wrestle his match but wrestle my match,” Gomez said. “No matter who it is I can get to the legs, so if I don’t get to the legs it’s because I’m not wrestling my match.”