In the end, it wasn’t about which team had more wins, it was about which team was willing to work harder to earn it.

The Ohio State wrestling team displayed that hard work on Sunday afternoon at St. John Arena by defeating Purdue to gain only their second dual-meet win against a Big Ten Conference opponent in two years.

The Buckeyes won eight of 10 matches and handed the Boilermakers their first loss of the season, 28-6, to improve their record to 2-3 (1-0 Big Ten). Purdue fell to 10-1 (0-1).

“Good timing,” said OSU assistant coach Joe Heskett, describing the first Big Ten win for first year coach Tom Ryan. “This match serves as preparation for the entire season.”

The Buckeyes opened the meet winning four of their first five matches.

Sophomore J Jaggers was nothing short of dominant in his opening bout, gaining a 10-1 major decision win over Nick Bertucci in the 141-pound weight class.

The often-injured Jaggers showed his case for what could be a similar run to his 26-7 effort last season.

“I’m feeling good,” Jaggers said. “We know if things go differently we shut them out.”

In the following match freshman Lance Palmer, ranked No. 19 in the 149-pound weight class, withstood a comeback from 10th-ranked Jake Patacsil to score an upset 4-3 victory.

After Jason Johnstone dropped a close decision in the closing seconds of his match at the 157-pound level, the Buckeyes went back to scoring points, gaining a team-leading 17th victory of the year from No. 15 Chris Vondruska at 165 pounds to put them up 10-3.

OSU overpowered the Boilermakers and rarely trailed in any matches throughout the day, gaining a first-career win from 174-pound junior Tommy Priestley along with a pin from third-ranked, 184-pound freshman Mike Pucillo, who put OSU ahead 19-3.

The only remaining points Purdue would earn on the day would be on an upset of third-ranked 197-pound junior J.D. Bergman as OSU went on to win their final three matches.

The Buckeyes, who had lost two straight, felt they had something to prove coming into the match.

“Everyone felt that way. We’re a lot better than what we’ve been showing,” freshman Will Livingston said. “I think we had something to prove to ourselves and the fans.”

The Buckeyes continue their season next week on the road at the Ashland Duals and do not return home again until Jan. 28 against Indiana.

Franco Castillo can be reached at [email protected].