Whose Stock is on the rise in Laramie?

LARAMIE -- Which Wyoming players saw their stock rise in Saturday's 17-16 setback against New Mexico inside Sam Boyd Stadium?

OT/ Frank Crum

It's easy to get overlooked when you are linemates with the likes of Keegan Cryder, Logan Harris and Eric Abojei, but Frank Crum has quietly put together a stellar season in place of the injured Alonzo Velazquez. The 6-foot, 7-inch, 314-pound sophomore from Laramie has been a real presence in Wyoming's run game, which ranks ninth in the country. Check out the video above. Crum, the right tackle, takes his man and literally moves him right out of the hole so Trey Smith can glide on through. This wasn't an aberration. He's been doing it all season. There's a reason Xazavian Valladay leads the Mountain West with nearly 123 yards on the ground per outing. Big No. 75 has played a major role in that.

K/ John Hoyland

A major question mark coming into this season was who would replace the program's all-time leading scorer, Cooper Rothe? I think the Cowboys found their answer. John Hoyland booted four field goals in the season opener at Nevada. Aside from a 36-yard miss against Hawaii in Week 2, Hoyland has converted on six straight, including three against the Lobos. The freshman walk-on is also a perfect 16-for-16 on extra-point attempts. Hoyland has turned into a real weapon for the Cowboys this fall. Last Saturday, the Cowboys got the ball back with 1:38 left on the clock, two time outs and the ball resting on the Lobos' 44-yard line. It never got that far, but Hoyland said postgame he had been connecting from 52 yards out in warmups. Maybe he gets a chance Saturday with Boise State paying a visit to Laramie in the season finale?

CB/ CJ Coldon

Remember when Wyoming gave up 420 passing yards to Carson Strong and Nevada in Week 1? It looked way too easy as Stong carved up the Cowboys' secondary en route to a 37-34 overtime victory in Reno. You might have noticed that those 400-plus yard throwing days are a thing of the past as of late. Wyoming once featured one of the worst pass defenses in the country. Now, they rank 35th in the nation in that category, allowing just 207 yards per game through the air. A big reason for that is CJ Coldon. Yes, the interception in the video above was a gimme, but it was also his first career pick. Aside from a 321-yard passing day at Colorado State, Wyoming hasn't allowed its last two opponents to eclipse 250 yards through the air. New Mexico didn't even hit the century mark last Saturday. Hawaii, Wyoming's Week-2 opponent, threw for just 110. Coldon, a junior from Belleville, Ill., has 21 tackles and three pass breakups to his credit this fall. He's getting better each week. Amazing what playing healthy has done for this guy.