The two losses were enough for assistant coach Casey Cunningham to step onto the scene.
He saw senior Dave Erwin, noted as a leader by coach Cael Sanderson, drop his first two matchups.
Cunningham experiences Erwin's great work ethic first-hand at practice and knows Erwin is the fighter, coming off right shoulder surgery at the season's beginning.
So it's no wonder Cunningham expected better of Erwin.
"He said he was still there for me," Erwin said. "He's not giving up on me."
Cunningham's words, and a move from 174 to 184 pounds, led to the senior winning 14 of his next 15 bouts, and the 184-pounder now finds himself a premier NCAA contender at his weight.
Over this past weekend, Erwin's two wins over then-No. 7 Phil Keddy and No. 16 Travis Rutt were the result of Cunningham tutoring the 184-pounder. Erwin thinks he has progressed most in bottom wrestling -- a result, Erwin said, of Cunningham's bear-like top riding at practice.
"He's one of the toughest guys I've ever wrestled with," Erwin said. "Having him there every day for guidance and to beat me up every now and then is one of the greatest things that has happened in my career."
Steadman said Cunningham, one of the best wrestlers at practice, beat up on Erwin earlier in the year. Steadman said now Erwin doesn't just wrestle better from the bottom but from every position -- a direct result of wrestling Cunningham frequently.
Steadman, along with teammates, call Erwin "Uncle Dave" because of the senior's leadership status. The 197-pounder wrestled Erwin at practice Tuesday.
It was the first time in a long time -- and Steadman saw a different Erwin.
"His confidence," Steadman said, "you can see it out on the mat."
Cunningham, who wrestles Erwin twice a week, said the 184-pounder has no problem asking the best, including Cunningham to wrestle at practice. Cunningham thought Erwin's confidence in asking the best to grapple allows the senior to progress -- perhaps even to the point of beating Cunningham himself.
"We can't go that far," Cunningham said.
Though Erwin may have a long distance to go before beating Cunningham, the Urbana, Ohio native has come a long way since his losses at season's start.
Cunningham said Erwin's two bouts at 174 pounds didn't add up to how he had performed at practice. The assistant thought it was the weight class causing problems. With Erwin now a 184-pounder, the emphasis isn't on weight control but progress. But after Erwin's Lehigh bout, Cunningham felt something needed to be said.
Erwin may have felt down on his abilities, but Cunningham didn't.
"He never lost faith in me," Erwin said. "He was always behind me to support me and push me forward."
