Iowa State wrestling has lost six matches by a single point in its last two dual meets, including four in its meeting with Arizona State last Friday.

The Cyclones are working on getting that last takedown to turn one-point losses into one-point wins. That will be put to the test when Iowa State travels to North Carolina on Saturday.

Earl Hall has come out of his early season slump. He placed fourth at Midlands and won his match against Arizona State by a 14-4 major decision, getting a takedown whenever he wanted one. Hall, one of the team leaders, is trying to help his teammates get out of their ruts and finish matches.

“[I] have to let them know they can’t be comfortable with a 3-2 decision,” Hall said. “You have to look to dominate in certain areas, whether it’s getting off the bottom or getting that last takedown in the last couple of seconds.

“We have this practice where the starters have to get a takedown or we can’t move on to the next part of the drill. We’ll lock in and we’ll look hard to compete this weekend.”

Heavyweight Quean Smith was one of the one-point losses against Arizona State. He lost to No. 4 Tanner Hall 2-1, and Smith was just coming off pneumonia from the previous week.

After re-watching the match early in the week, Smith knows he could’ve gotten the needed takedown to win the match.

“I know I can beat these guys, I just have to believe it in myself,” Smith said. “I can’t go out there and think, ‘Oh, what are they going to do next?’ I have to be the one going out there and getting all of the takedowns.”

Smith will have an opportunity to do that against an unranked wrestler.

North Carolina boasts three wrestlers — No. 5 Joey Ward at 141 pounds, No. 7 Ethan Ramos at 174 pounds and No. 20 Chip Ness at 184 pounds.

So far this season, Iowa State’s 174-pound wrestler Lelund Weatherspoon has wrestled one of the toughest schedules in the nation, according to the Open Mat. The match against Ramos will be another challenge for Weatherspoon, who is ranked No. 9 in the nation.

“[Ramos] is an All-American, and he’s looking to make his mark at home,” coach Kevin Jackson said. “Lelund’s going to have to embrace it like he has been all year — I think he’s looking forward to that match.”

The two squads match up well with each other, Jackson said. And Iowa State is on the verge of a “must win” to turn around its disappointing 1-5 season.

“I do think our guys, at their best, will give a good performance,” Jackson said. “We’re expecting them to be better than they were on Friday, and for the guys that really didn’t step up to the challenge on Friday to step it up to that next level of competition.”

One person who Jackson never has to worry about stepping up to the challenge is 184-pounder Pat Downey.

No. 8 Downey returned to the mat against Arizona State after a seven-week hiatus. He practiced with Kyven Gadson two days before the meet, and that’s how he knew he was ready.

He won that match by major decision. But now that he has a whole week to practice, he’s expecting big things from himself.

“I’m only going to keep getting better,” Downey said. “I didn’t train for like [six or seven] weeks. I’m still just fresh off of the rib, I keep feeling better, I keep getting healthier and I’m going to keep getting into wrestling shape.

“I’m going to keep doing what I’m doing — attack, score, win and dominate. It’s wrestling season.”