Ghaali Muhammad
Ghaali Muhammad, Wyoming football’s senior linebacker, was recognized Monday by College Football Performance Awards. His award came from having one of the performances of the week among other linebackers across the country, according to Wyoming Athletics.
Muhammad was one of 13 linebackers in the nation recognized for performances within the past week. Reports from the Athletics Department additionally state that he earned Honorable Mention honors while LSU’s Kevin Minter and Oregon’s Kiko Alonso were named the Co-Linebackers of the Week. The Honorable Mention selections were: Muhammad, Chase Thomas (Stanford), Jake Knott (Iowa State), Josh Francis (West Virginia), Jack Tyler (Virginia Tech), Randall Joyner (SMU), R.J. Young (UL-Monroe), Trashaun Nixon (New Mexico State), Dallas Bollema (New Mexico), Ben Heeney (Kansas), Tyler Matakevich (Temple).
Muhammad had 15 tackles against Nevada, a personal best for the player. He also recovered a fumble that led to Wyoming’s first scoring drive of the game and made a tackle on a fourth and goal at the four-yard line, stopping Nevada on a scoring drive late in the fourth quarter.
He was the leader of a Wyoming defense that held the nation’s leading rusher, Stefphon Jefferson of Nevada to 78 yards rushing— 97 yards under his average of 175 yards per game in Wyoming’s 28-35 overtime road loss, according to Wyoming Athletics.
Muhammad’s fumble recovery came on Nevada’s second offensive series of the game and gave the Cowboys the ball on the Nevada 40-yard line. Six plays later, Wyoming had taken a 7-0 lead. His three tackles for losses came on a Jefferson one-yard loss, a Jefferson one-yard loss and a sack of Nevada quarterback Devin Combs for a four-yard loss.
The sack came at a critical point late in the fourth quarter with Nevada beginning a drive at the Wyoming 36-yard line following a punt. Muhammad sacked Nevada’s QB for four yards early in the drive. Later in the same drive, Muhammad teamed with Cowboy defensive back Luke Anderson to tackle Combs for only a two-yard gain on a fourth and goal from the six-yard line that preserved a 28-21 lead for the Cowboys at the time.
Of Muhammad’s 15 tackles on the day, eight targeted Jefferson. Seven of those eight tackles of Jefferson were for three yards or less, including gains of 3 yards, 3 yards, -1 yard, -1 yard, 3 yards, 0 yards and 1 yard. Muhammad also returned one kickoff for 15 yards.
