Dave Crowell sees his opponents are bigger than he is on match day, and though he hasn't won a Big Ten bout, Crowell doesn't worry.
"Most guys get weaker as the season goes on," Crowell said Saturday after losing 6-5 to Michigan State's Tyler Dickenson Friday. "I'm getting stronger."
While his opponents have to cut weight, Crowell said he doesn't miss a meal. Thanks to that model, Crowell sees his energy increasing. And as his strength grows, Crowell's shots can only become more effective.
On Friday, Crowell came one point away from winning his first Big Ten match but failed to finish his shots, something both he and Penn State coach Cael Sanderson emphasized after the bout.
Crowell's last takedown attempt of the night could have given him the victory over Dickenson. The Nittany Lion grappler took hold of Dickenson's two legs with the Spartan wrestler turned on his side, but Crowell found his head stuck underneath Dickenson's leg before the Lion 197-pounder gained control. With both wrestlers already on the mat, no points were awarded.
"He was a pretty strong kid," Crowell said. "I couldn't pop my head out."
With Dickenson's riding-time point, the Michigan State grappler walked away with a one-point win. Crowell said he needs to fight better from the bottom and finish his shots to start winning. The redshirt sophomore moved up a weight class from 184 to 197 pounds this season, which has led to a weight disadvantage between him and his opponents. Crowell thinks the weight difference is a part of the reason why he isn't getting more takedowns. Because he is smaller, Crowell gets stuck underneath his opponents, as he did on Friday, and he and the coaching staff have been working on how to avoid that.
"The hard part is getting in," Crowell said. "I did the hard part, and then, for some reason, I couldn't finish."
Sanderson said Crowell can build off his match with Dickenson because it was closely contested but thinks Crowell needed to find a way to score on his last takedown attempt.
"He had a lot of opportunities to score [Friday] because of nice shots," Sanderson said, "but you have to finish them and get the points."
Teammate and fellow 197-pounder Clay Steadman knows how difficult it can be wrestling bigger opponents. Steadman said he grapples heavyweight Cameron Wade at practice and has taken Wade down only once since Jan. 1. Because heavier opponents are bigger, it becomes more of a challenge to score. But Crowell remains confident.
"I feel I can get in on anybody," Crowell said. "I just have to do a better job of finishing."
