When the Penn State wrestling team took the mat more than a month ago against Navy, five wrestlers were making the first dual-meet start of their careers.

The results?

Five victories and a 41-3 drumming of the Midshipmen.

Going into the match, Penn State wrestling coach Troy Sunderland and the rest of his coaching staff didn't know exactly what to expect from the first-time starters.

However, a month later, the inexperienced wrestlers have provided vital victories in the team's wins over No. 3 Lehigh, No. 12 West Virginia and Pittsburgh. Penn State wrestling assistant coach John Hughes said the younger wrestlers have been instrumental in the team's early success, which has translated to a No. 6 national ranking in the most recent InterMat poll, Penn State highest ranking since 1999.

Against Lehigh, the Lions found themselves down 15-0, but battled back to win six straight matches en route to a 19-15 upset victory. Eric Bradley, who hasn't wrestled for the last two years because of a chronic back injury, notched an upset victory over Lehigh's Travis Frick at 184 pounds. Hughes said the coaching staff didn't know what to expect from Bradley this year because of his injury, but he has exceeded expectations and is currently ranked No. 11 in the nation at 184.

James Woodall is another wrestler who has provided a boost for the Lions, having posted technical falls against Pittsburgh and West Virginia.

"He's picked it up against guys who had kept him close in the past," Hughes said.

Hughes said the team knows what to expect from wrestlers like Josh Moore and Pat Cummins, who are ranked No. 3 and No. 2, respectively, but the role of the inexperienced wrestlers will likely dictate the team's success.

"I told the guys we can't just rely on Josh and Pat," Hughes said. "The younger guys need to provide wins and get extra points when they're available."

Junior Adam Smith has vaulted to No. 8 in the country at 125 and is 20-4 on the season. At 141, Dewitt Driscoll has returned after having surgery on his right arm and was a clutch component in the Lions' victory against Lehigh. With Penn State leading 16-15, Driscoll notched an 8-3 victory over Taylor Graham to complete the Lions' comeback effort.

"Dewitt's doing well," Hughes said. "He still needs to work on his conditioning and escaping from the bottom."

Joel Edwards has also performed well at 197 after redshirting last year as a freshman. Currently ranked No. 15 in the nation, Edwards has faced the No. 18, No. 19, and No. 20 wrestlers in his weight class, compiling a 2-1 record.