An assortment of connections will hit the mat as ASU wrestling hosts the Nebraska Cornhuskers Friday on Wrestling Night in Tempe.

Four UFC fighters, who are former ASU wrestlers and All-Americans, will be in attendance as honorary coaches, along with the only coach in ASU history to win a national title, Bobby Douglas.

The returning Sun Devils include Cain Velasquez, Ryan Bader, CB Dollaway and Aaron Simpson, who are each up-and-coming stars in the UFC.

The presence of these former Sun Devils has current wrestlers prepared to perform well.

“It gets the best out of our team, because we have all those guys there,” sophomore Vicente Varela said.

ASU coach Shawn Charles has several connections of his own.

Douglas coached Charles during his days at ASU, and both Charles and assistant coach Bryan Snyder are former Nebraska coaches.

Snyder even graduated from Nebraska in 2002 and was the first four-time All-American in Cornhusker history.

Charles coached Snyder while he was still in school and Snyder followed him to ASU.

“I know their mentality,” Charles said. “Those guys are good coaches, they’re hard workers and their guys are going to come here prepared to try and beat us in our home gym.”

Each team will throw three top-20 ranked wrestlers onto the mat.

Nebraska (8-6) brings undefeated and No. 2 senior Craig Brester (197), No. 3 senior Stephen Dwyer (174) and No. 10 sophomore heavyweight Tucker Lane.

ASU (7-4, 3-0) matches up with No. 3 junior Anthony Robles (125), No. 13 heavyweight senior Erik Nye and No. 15 junior Chris Drouin (141).

“We’ve got a young team right now, and I think that they are in the same situation,” Charles said. “On paper, I think it’s pretty much a toss up dual.”

The Cornhuskers have lost three straight duals with defeats at the hands of top-ranked Iowa (33-3), Buffalo (18-17) and at home to Wyoming (29-10).

On the opposite side, the Sun Devils have just come off three straight victories at the Lone Star Duals in Texas.

The all-time record between the schools has Nebraska with a 9-4-1 advantage.

Key wrestlers for ASU include junior Ben Ashmore (133) and sophomore Vicente Varela (149). The top four weight classes for the Sun Devils set the table for the rest of the team.

“I’m fired up, but I approach it the same way I have all my other matches,” Varela said. “I’m excited about it, but I’m not going to let it add extra pressure.”

All of ASU’s losses this season have come against either Big Ten or Big 12 schools - something Charles would like to get rid of.

“It’s important that we get over the hump and beat one of them,” Charles said.

Every time ASU gets to compete against a nationally-known program, Charles gets excited.

The last time the Sun Devils recorded a victory over Nebraska was in 2002.

“Their intensity has to be high,” Charles said. “They’ve got to feel like this is one of the biggest matches of their career.”

ASU’s other dual over the weekend is against the Embry Riddle Eagles Sunday in Prescott.

Embry Riddle (4-8) has never defeated ASU but faces the Sun Devils in Prescott for the first time.

The Eagles have two nationally ranked individuals in No. 3 junior Tyler Chang (157) and No. 10 junior Trace Billet (149).

ASU last defeated the Eagles 38-6 in 2008.

Reach the reporter at nathan.meacham@asu.edu