Eight Wyoming Cowboys Earn All-MW Football Awards
Led by First Team All-Conference Selections Logan Wilson, Alijah Halliburton, and Xazavian Valladay, the Wyoming Cowboys had eight players receive honors Wednesday.
The Mountain West Conference announced its 2019 Football All-Conference Team and Individual Honors.
Joining Wilson, Halliburton, and Valladay are second-team selections in Keegan Cryder and Austin Conway. Tyler Hall, Logan Harris, and Cassh Maluia received Honorable Mention All-MW.
It’s the third straight All-Mountain West honor for Wilson, who was Honorable Mention in 2018 and Second-Team in 2017. He was also the MW Freshmen of the Year in 2016. This also marked the third straight season that Hall was selected Honorable Mention All-MW.
The rest of Wyoming’s recipients earned all-conference honors for the first time in their careers.
Wilson is a finalist for the Butkus Award, has 98 total tackles, and four interceptions this season. He has added 7.5 tackles for loss, one sack, and one forced fumble.
Halliburton was the Cowboys’ top tackler this year with 119. He has 10 tackles for loss, two sacks, an interception, and one fumble recovery. Halliburton had six double-figure tackles games during the season. He was the Bronko Nagurski Trophy National Defensive Player of the Week for his performance in UW’s victory over Missouri, 37-31, on Aug. 31, 2019.
Valladay had the first 1,000-yard rushing season of his career. He finished with 1,061 yards and five rushing touchdowns in the 11 games he played. His 96.5 rushing yards per game is No. 2 in the Mountain West and 29th in the nation. Valladay has six 100-yard rushing games during 2019. That included a career-best 206 against Nevada on Oct. 26.
Conway was chosen as a punt returner. He averaged 11.1 yards per punt return. He led the MW with 31 returns for 344 yards.
Cryder led the Pokes with over 100 knockdown blocks this season. He has allowed only one sack and been called for only one penalty. Cryder led an offensive line that had Wyoming at No. 2 in the conference and 28th in the country with an average of 208.5 rushing yards per game.
Hall had 36 tackles, one interception he returned for a touchdown, six pass breakups, and one forced fumble. Harris started nine games and was credited with over 50 knockdown blocks. He allowed only a half-sack during the season. Maluia was third on the team with 57 tackles. He had seven tackles for loss, half a sack, and two interceptions.
This is the most All-MW honorees since the Cowboys had eight in 2016.
Here is the complete list of honorees and individual award winners in the Mountain West Conference for 2019.
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