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‘Yesterday Was Yesterday’: RB Markell Holman Focused on What’s Ahead for Wyoming
LARAMIE, Wyo. – Transfer Markell Holman doesn't know exactly how many opportunities he will receive on any given Saturday.
Three games into his first season at Wyoming, the senior running back has emerged as one of the Cowboys' most productive offensive weapons despite sharing the backfield with Samuel "Tote" Harris.
"You just don't take any opportunity for granted. You never know how many plays, how many snaps you're going to get," Holman said. "So you just try to make the most of them when you get those opportunities. So that's just kind of how I see it, how we all see it. When your number is called, you just make that play and make the most of it."
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So far, Holman has done exactly that.
Through Wyoming's first three games, Holman has rushed 21 times for 132 yards, averaging 6.3 yards per carry. He has also caught six passes for 31 yards, giving him 163 yards from scrimmage on only 27 touches.
His production has become increasingly difficult to overlook.
Holman provided one of Wyoming's few offensive bright spots in Saturday's 24-10 loss at Central Michigan, scoring the Cowboys' only touchdown on a six-yard run on the first play of the fourth quarter. It was his first touchdown as a Cowboy and the 14th of his collegiate career.
Holman remembers his first Cowboys TD vividly
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"That drive in particular was one of our better drives and the mindset really was just to finish the drive; I feel like that's something that we had to work on," Holman said. "So, when I got out there, it was just the mindset like we’ve got to finish this drive. That's something that we need to be better at. But in reality, we just need more of those, like as a whole, no matter if it's offense, defense, special teams, we’ve just got to find more ways to finish the drives. That was the mindset."
The touchdown came one week after Holman turned in his biggest performance as a Cowboy.
Against Northern Colorado, he carried 11 times for 80 yards and caught five passes for another 27, finishing with 107 yards from scrimmage on 16 touches as Wyoming rallied for a 21-13 victory.
Those numbers shouldn't necessarily be surprising.
Holman arrived in Laramie after leading the Ohio Valley Conference with 1,063 rushing yards at Western Illinois last season. He also caught 39 passes for 314 yards, displaying the versatility that has followed him into Wyoming's offense.
Holman describes himself first as a physical runner, but doesn't want to be limited to that label.
"So I would say I'm a bruiser. I'm a bigger guy, I can run north-south, get downhill, but I try to stay versatile," Holman said. "As the game evolves, you go through a lot. So I try to catch passes, make people miss. But definitely I say that I’m a guy of many traits."
The versatility gives Wyoming options alongside Harris.
Rather than viewing the division of carries as a competition for touches, Holman said the differences between the two backs can make Wyoming more difficult to defend.
"It complements each other because it puts stress on the defense," Holman said. "Tote does things that I probably can't do and, vice versa. When you can be able to utilize that on the field, it puts stress on the defense to try to stop it all."
Add quarterback Tyler Hughes' ability to run, and Holman believes Wyoming has the pieces to force defenses into difficult decisions.
"It's definitely an impact. You know, just for defenses, it's hard to scout that. It's hard to game plan so many different weapons. in so many different ways," Holman said. "We really stress having a cover in the whole field because you’ve really got to pick your poison no matter who you want to let get off."
The Cowboys haven't consistently turned those weapons into points.
Wyoming enters Saturday's Mountain West opener against Hawaii at 1-2, with its lone victory coming against Northern Colorado. The Cowboys have shown flashes offensively, particularly late in games, but slow starts have repeatedly forced them to play from behind.
Holman isn't interested in dwelling on what has already happened.
Asked whether his touchdown against Central Michigan provided any sense of redemption after the previous week, his answer reflected the mentality he's trying to carry forward.
"Yeah, but honestly, what happened last week, that was last week," Holman said. "So, I came in with a different mindset of where it's in the past, it’s in the past, and I just look to the future and the present."
"Yesterday was yesterday. All we’ve got is today and tomorrow. So we just look forward to that."
Holman has traveled a long road to reach Wyoming. The Philadelphia native began his college career at Lackawanna College before moving to Saint Francis, then Western Illinois and finally Wyoming. His breakout season at Western Illinois opened the door to the FBS level, and Wyoming became his final college destination.
Three games in, Holman said that he really enjoys Wyoming.
"I've been enjoying my time here at Wyoming,” Holman said. "I like the fan base, the state, how they support us and back us. So that gives me drive."
He got his first real taste of that support before the Northern Colorado game, when Wyoming played its home opener in front of a sold-out War Memorial Stadium. He remembers the Cowboy Walk and the game.
"It was an amazing experience. Just having the whole state out there, having a sold-out stadium, it gave me goosebumps and chills," Holman said. "Just, being able to walk and seeing how many people support you and to be able to feel the energy. I loved it, and I embraced every second of it."
Now Holman and the Cowboys return home for Homecoming against Hawaii on Saturday, with a chance to reset their season as Mountain West play begins.
Holman wants to give Wyoming fans something in return.
"We just want to put on a better display, you know, for the state, for the coaches, for us, and each other," Holman said. "We’re going to go out there and just put what we do in practice and let it translate to the game. Just bring that energy back and reciprocate that love and energy because we definitely have a lot to do."
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