During the wrestling team's grueling three-match Big Ten road trip last weekend, 142-pounder Clint Musser turned in a respectable 2-1 record. The Lions' freshman got big wins over No. 12 Jay Michael of Ohio State and Mike Ellsworth of Michigan, but lost a controversial 8-7 overtime decision to Michigan State's Phil Judge.

And it's the one that got away that really gets to Musser.

He said he thought he had the match won when he took Judge down with less than 10 seconds remaining. The referee signaled a takedown, and the score was 8-7 in Musser's favor.

But after the buzzer sounded, Michigan State Coach Tom Minkel charged toward the referee, questioning the validity of the final two points. After deliberating with the mat judge, the referee rescinded the takedown, sending the match into overtime.

"It was a really poor reffing job," Musser said. "I had the takedown. I was creating all the action. It really seemed like (the ref) was against Penn State -- not just in my match, but all day."

Michigan State Assistant Coach Shawn Nelson, who was Penn State's starting 118-pounder last season, sympathized with Musser's disappointment. But he also recognized that officiating is part of the sport.

"I'd hate to be the ref in a situation like that," Nelson said. "It could have gone either way. It's unfortunate that the match was decided on such a close call."

Judge won the coin toss at the beginning of overtime, selected the down position and escaped to earn one point and get the win.

"I hate that this kid walked off the mat thinking that he won," Musser said. "Deep down inside, he knows that he didn't really. I know that if I wrestle him again, he's going to be in trouble."

On the surface, Musser has a bright future at Penn State. He may soon be a star on the wrestling team and he carries a grade point average above 3.0. In the off-season, Musser enjoys water-skiing with his family. But the Akron, Ohio, native is the owner of a dark, ugly secret.

He is a Cleveland Browns fan.

Along with Cleveland native and teammate Eddie Jayne, Musser took much teasing from his other teammates following the Browns' loss to the Steelers in the AFC playoffs Jan. 7.

Musser was particularly animated when he and some of his teammates got together to watch the game.

"Clint has a pretty short temper, and it's easy for us to get under his skin," Steelers fan and teammate Dana Weber said with a chuckle. "He was yelling obscenities, going nuts. He was yelling like, 'Break their legs,' and, 'I could do better than that. Put me in there.' We just sat there and laughed."

Like his favorite NFL team, the 1994-95 regular season has been a relatively successful one for Musser. He has amassed a 22-8 mark, including an eighth-place finish at the prestigious Midlands Tournament in December.

And like his beloved Browns, he is stingy when it comes to surrendering points to his opponents.

"He's really tough to score against," said fellow freshman Biff Walizer, Musser's roommate, who often wrestles him in the practice room. "He always stays in your face, and when he's aggressive like that, he's tough to score points on."

But unlike the Browns, Musser hopes his season does not end prematurely.

"My ultimate goal is a national championship," he said. "I think that if you shoot for anything less than that, you'll get less."

This year's much-lauded freshmen have the potential to bring championships to Penn State in the future. And it is more than just wrestling accomplishments that have made Musser proud to be part of the all-star group.