LARAMIE — Why didn’t Craig Bohl ever think of that?
With 3:47 remaining in the first half and the Broncos trailing by four, Wyoming alum Frank Crum — all 6-foot-8, 315 pounds of him — trotted on the field with his offense facing a 3rd-and-1 at the Buffalo 7-yard line.
Surely Sean Payton sent in the extra beef to pick up the short-yardage, right?
Wrong.
The tackle-eligible engaged the defensive end before slipping out into the flat all by his lonesome. There, Bo Nix fired a belt-high strike that Crum easily snagged before turning up field. Only cornerback Cam Lewis — all 5-foot-9, 183 pounds of him — stood in his way.
That didn’t last long.
Crum barreled right through him and flipped into the end zone, giving Denver a 10-7 lead.
Another former Cowboy, Josh Allen, was picked off in overtime and Nix and the Broncos marched 75 yards on six plays — with the help of a couple of timely yellow hankies — before Will Lutz booted through a 23-yard chip-shot field goal, lifting Denver to a 33-30 victory and a berth in next weekend’s AFC Championship game.
Crum, a tackle who was on the field for just 64 offensive snaps this season, is in his second professional season after suiting up in his hometown from 2019-2023 where he helped lead the Cowboys to four postseason appearances, including a victory over Toledo in the Arizona Bowl in his final game in the brown and gold.
An undrafted free agent in the 2024 NFL Draft, Denver scooped him up a mere minutes after the conclusion of the three-day event. Crum has been a standout on special teams since his arrival, including blocking an extra-point attempt in a 22-19 win over the Chiefs in mid-November.
The Broncos will host the winner of the Houston/ New England game next Sunday.
As for the other Cowpoke in this classic, Allen is once again going home early after throwing a pair of interceptions, including the controversial, yet costly, pick courtesy of cornerback Ja’Quan McMillian with 7:55 remaining in the extra frame.
Allen, who completed 25-of-39 throws and tossed three touchdowns, also fumbled the ball away twice, one of which turned into three additional Denver points as the halftime buzzer sounded.
University of Wyoming’s Top 50 Football Players
The rules are simple: What was the player’s impact while in Laramie? That means NFL stats, draft status or any other accolade earned outside of UW is irrelevant when it comes to this list.
This isn’t a one-man job. This task called for a panel of experts. Joining 7220’s Cody Tucker are Robert Gagliardi, Jared Newland, Ryan Thorburn, and Kevin McKinney.
We all compiled our own list of 50 and let computer averages do the work. Think BCS — only we hope this catalog is fairer.
Don’t agree with a selection? Feel free to sound off on our Twitter: @7220sports – #Top50UWFB
Gallery Credit: 7220Sports.com
– University of Wyoming’s Top 50 Football Players
