Stock Up, Stock Down: Khalil Wilkins' 1st Start, Perry's Playmaking, Defensive Struggles

It was another loss for the Mountaineers as they fell to No. 23 BYU on Friday night, 38-24. As always, we have our weekly stock report, evaluating a handful of performances.

Stock Up: QB Khalil Wilkins

Obviously, WIlkins wasn't asked to do a ton with his arm, but he did make some impressive throws. His first interception he was baited into, the second was on Cam Vaughn, who should have hauled in the catch inside the BYU five. As the weeks go on, I expect to see Rodriguez take the training wheels off and let him sling it around a little bit more. For his first start, I thought he performed better than expected. Gutsy effort.

Stock Down: RB Tye Edwards

Edwards was likely on a pitch count, which I mentioned would probably be the case earlier in the day, but when he did get the rock, it looked like he didn't have the same burst we saw against Pitt. I don't want to speculate, but I wonder if the hip is still bothering him to some degree.

Stock Down: Defensive Coordinator Zac Alley

Let me preface this once again by saying, I still believe in Alley. He just doesn't have the horses or the depth to truly field a top-tier Big 12 defensive unit. That said, it's still on him to find answers right now. His unit allowed 242 yards rushing to Kansas, 242 to Utah, and tonight, allowed true freshman QB Bear Bachmeier to go over 300 yards for the first time in his career.

Stock Down: CB Michael Coats Jr.

Coats flipped his hips outside and allowed an 85-yard reception on an inside release. He also gave up a 47-yard catch and was guilty of pass interference, moving the sticks. Through the first five games, Coats played great in just about every aspect of the game. Tonight? That was not the case at all. This is one he'll want to watch and move on from very quickly.

Stock Up: S Fred Perry

If there was a lone bright spot on the defensive side of the ball, it would clearly be Fred Perry. He forced two fumbles, both of which set the WVU offense up with a short field, scoring a pair of touchdowns. Regardless of how the game is going or what the score is, Perry is constantly playing with 100% effort.