CEDAR FALLS - Gone was the familiar snarl Iowa wrestling fans are used to seeing on Tom Brands' face.

In its place there was a smile. A small one. A grin.

Brand's Hawkeyes completed a dominating performance at the Cliff Keen/NWCA National Duals Sunday with a pounding of unseeded Nebraska, 24-6, in the title match at the UNI-Dome.

Iowa gave up just five takedowns while winning its fourth National Duals title and first since 1996.

"We are where we want to be again," said Brands. "And we gained a little bit back of what we lost. We came here to win, and we won.

"If things are going your way you feel pretty good about it, and that is why I have a little bit of a smile on my face."

The Hawkeyes won the first five matches of the title dual, including a stirring upset by Charlie Falck of defending 125-pound national champion Paul Donahoe, 3-2, to kick off the meet.

"Being the guy starting the team off, you want to get things going," said Falck. "I've beat him before, knew I could do it, so it was just a matter of going out there and doing it … and getting the team rolling."

Falck used a second-period takedown and a third-period escape to topple Donahoe.

Joe Slaton, Dan LeClere, Brent Metcalf and Ryan Morningstar followed with victories, and the title was all but in the Hawkeyes' grasp.

"You have to give them a lot of credit," said Brands of his team. "It was a team effort, no doubt. We're starting to figure things out … starting to put a team together."

Brands was especially happy with how his team won. The Hawkeyes were on the attack from the first whistle.

"I said it all year and said it last year when things weren't going always at a high level … when guys are ready … when guys are ready to go and attack, good things happen. We've got guys who are doing a good job," said Brands.

Iowa lost at 165 and 197. Leading 15-0, the Hawkeyes decided to hold out defending 165-pound national champion Mark Perry, who was nursing a sore knee he tweaked while beating top-ranked Eric Tannenbaum of Michigan in the semifinals.

The Cornhuskers became just the second unseeded team in the 19-year history of the tournament to reach the finals when they beat two-time defending duals champion Minnesota, 24-12, in the semifinals.

Oklahoma, in 2003, was the only other unseeded team to do it before it lost to Oklahoma State.

"They out-wrestled us in every area," said Cornhuskers coach Mark Manning. "They beat us on our feet, they beat us on the mat, they beat us on top and bottom. They were a better team today."

Iowa advanced to the finals with a similar domination of Michigan in the semifinals, winning six of the first seven matches en route to a 23-13 victory.

Falck, Metcalf and Perry finished the tournament undefeated, with Metcalf earning the Most Outstanding Wrestler award. Iowa won 32 of 40 bouts in the tournament.

Iowa State's weekend started with a startling upset loss to Hofstra, but the Cyclones battled back to finish seventh, rounding it off with a 26-16 victory over Northwestern Sunday.

"We're looking good. We are pretty consistent," said Cyclones head coach Cael Sanderson. "We're not frustrated or disappointed.

"We just need to make a few minor adjustments and continuing taking steps forward between now and March."

Contact Jim Nelson at (319) 291-1521 or jim.nelson@wcfcourier.com