Rebounding after last weekend’s tough loss to Oregon State will easier said than done for the ASU wrestling team as it faces off against two of the nations top teams this weekend.

The Sun Devils travel to California for a Pac-10 dual Friday against No. 16 Cal Poly (6-3, 3-1 Pac-10) before returning home to match up with No. 2 Iowa State (10-2, 2-0 Big 12) on Sunday.

This is the first time all season that the Sun Devils (8-5, 3-1 Pac-10) are not ranked among the top 25 teams in the NWCA/USA Today Coaches Poll.

ASU coach Shawn Charles said his team has to increase its effort on the mat in order to compete well this weekend.

“Hopefully, we’re like a ball, and we’re going to bounce,” he said. “We went down and hit bottom and hopefully we’re going to bounce back up. I think we are.”

The Sun Devils haven’t faced Cal Poly in two years, when the Mustangs broke ASU’s 18 straight victories in the series.

Iowa State is a different story, with the Cyclones winning the last five meetings between the two teams.

One of the biggest factors in the loss to Oregon State was momentum, with the Beavers knocking off nine straight Sun Devils.

In order to succeed this weekend, ASU needs to jump out early against these top- ranked opponents.

“It’s all about momentum, and right now we need to make sure we go back out there and fight twice as hard as we did the week before,” Charles said.

ASU’s four ranked wrestlers match up with three ranked wrestlers from Cal Poly and nine ranked wrestlers from Iowa State, including the top-ranked performer at 197 pounds in Cyclones senior Jake Varner.

ASU’s ranked wrestlers include No. 4 junior Anthony Robles (125), No. 12 junior Chris Drouin (141), No. 18 senior Erik Nye (285) and No. 23 junior Ben Ashmore (133).

Last week’s loss jolted several former ASU wrestlers, prompting them to attend Wednesday’s practice and help motivate the team.

One of the alumni included ASU’s first ever All-American, Glenn McMinn, Sr.

McMinn was a Pac-10 champion in 1964 and an All-American in 1965 and 1967 at 115 pounds.

“He got this whole thing started, for all of us to want to come here and be All-Americans,” Charles said.

A coach throughout his life, McMinn wasn’t pleased with what he saw from the Sun Devils last Sunday.

“I’m glad I didn’t come in right after the match,” he said. “I tuned it down from what I thought initially.”

The history that surrounds ASU wrestling can be seen in the stands during competition.

McMinn, whose sons also wrestled at ASU, said that all he wants to see is the same effort that was present during his days as a Sun Devil.

“We want to see that courage, that determination, that will to win,” he said. “If you demonstrate to me that you left your guts out there on that mat, we can’t ask anymore from anybody.”

Reach the reporter at nathan.meacham@asu.edu