Colorado State University Athletics
Team chooses 2015 season captains
12/15/2015 12:00:00 AM | Football
FORT COLLINS, Colo. - Colorado State has chosen its 2015 season captains. The five players, who have established themselves as leaders both on and off the field, are Sam Carlson, Kivon Cartwright, Joe Hansley, Hayden Hunt and Trent Matthews.
Carlson, a local product, has started all 12 games this season for the Rams. He has helped block for an offense that ranks third in the Mountain West with 417.0 yards per game, and is among the nation's leaders for tackles for loss allowed (4.58 per game; 12th), sacks allowed (1.17 per game; 15th), third-down conversions (45.0 percent, 23rd), fourth-down conversions (62.5 percent, 24th), first downs (22.58 per game, 35th) and red-zone offense (87.5 percent, 38th).
Cartwright, a Pueblo, Colo., native, enters his final college football game with 75 career receptions for 1,136 yards and 12 total touchdowns in 45 contests. A year after missing all but one game due to injury and receiving a sixth-year of eligibility waiver from the NCAA, he has caught 18 passes for 279 yards and two touchdowns in 2015. Cartwright also has been instrumental in blocking, helping an offense which ranks third in the Mountain West for total yards.
One of the team's most-versatile athletes, Hansley has eight total touchdowns - tied for the team lead - including six receiving scores and two punt return touchdowns, which both came in a come-from-behind win at Fresno State. In addition to his receiving and punt return scores, Hansley also has two career completions, one of which was a touchdown pass to Cartwright. Hansley has 134 career catches for 1,811 yards and 12 receiving touchdowns, just outside of CSU's top-10 lists for each category.
Hunt was one of three finalists for the 2015 Ray Guy Award, which annually goes to college football's most outstanding punter. The junior ranks second nationally for net punting (42.4) and fourth for gross average (46.3). He has just one touchback in 50 attempts, booting 15 at least 50 yards and landing 23 inside opponent's 20-yard line. He has already been named an All-American by The Associated Press and USA Today.
Matthews leads the team with four takeaways - including three in a win at Wyoming - and ranks third for tackles (79). The senior is on CSU's top-10 list for career interceptions, and earlier this fall was named to the prestigious Allstate AFCA Good Works Team for community service. He will be a volunteer assistant coach for the bowl game after tearing his ACL in CSU's regular-season finale, finishing his career tied for a CSU record with 50 starts.
CSU was represented by four captains during each regular-season game, changing every week. A total of 23 players held the title at some point during the season, including Carlson a team-most seven times. The Rams close the 2015 season against Nevada on Dec. 29 in the inaugural Nova Home Loans Arizona Bowl.
