Colorado State University Athletics
CSU football names season captains
12/10/2016 12:00:00 AM | Football
FORT COLLINS, Colo. - Colorado State has chosen its 2016 season captains. The four players, who have established themselves as leaders both on and off the field, are seniors Kevin Davis, Hayden Hunt, Nolan Peralta and Fred Zerblis. They were voted on by their teammates.
Davis, a linebacker from Fountain-Fort Carson High School, is the Rams' top tackler for the second year in a row, posting 101 tackles and 9.5 tackles for loss. He has also been part of six turnovers, forcing four fumbles, recovering one and intercepting a pass vs. Utah State (10/8) to seal the victory. His 8.4 tackles-per-game average ranks eighth in the MW, while his 3.0 sacks are fifth among linebackers. He set the tone for the season with 19 tackles in the season opener vs. Colorado (9/2), which is still the highest total by a MW defender this season. Davis is one of two players in the entire country with 100-plus tackles, multiple sacks and at least one interception, forced fumble and fumble recovery.
Hunt followed up his All-America junior campaign by becoming a Ray Guy Award semifinalist for the second consecutive season. He ranks 18th nationally with a 44.3 net punting average, with 24 punts (48.0 percent) being marked down inside opponents' 20-yard line, 15 going at least 50 yards (30.0 percent) and just three being touchbacks (6.0 percent). He was twice named the Ray Guy Award national punter of the week, including once after he successfully converted back-to-back on-side kicks at then-No. 15 Boise State (10/15), part of a 20-0 Rams' run in a span of 1:25. He is also 2-for-2 on fake punts and has been the Rams' primary holder for all field goals and extra-point attempts.
Peralta has become a top team leader off the field, but has also elevated his game on it. In 11 starts, he has recorded 11 catches for 91 yards and two touchdowns, including a 19-yard fade on the opening drive vs. New Mexico (11/19). More so, however, Peralta has been used as a fullback or H-back and plays a key role in the Rams' running game as a punishing blocker. CSU's offense has averaged the fourth-most points in FBS and seventh-most yards since Oct. 16, including 63 points at San Diego State (11/26) - the nation's eighth-best scoring defense at the time - and 49 points in the win over the Lobos, in which three running backs each rushed for 100-plus yards.
Zerblis has started all 12 games at right guard for the Rams and is the veteran leader of an offensive line that ranks 12th nationally, allowing just 1.08 sacks per game - including just one total sack in the past five contests. Additionally, CSU ranks 25th for tackles for loss allowed (4.92 per game) and sixth for red zone offense, scoring at a 94.0-percent rate. After beginning the season slow on offense, CSU now ranks in the upper third of the FBS, averaging 223.0 rushing yards per game (31st), 451.0 total yards (40th) and 34.1 points (39th). Those numbers have been magnified over the past five weeks, with CSU averaging 47.4 points, 520.6 total yards and 274.4 rushing yards per game - going 4-1 during that span.
Hunt and Zerblis were named All-Mountain West first-team selections, while Davis was a second-team honoree. Earlier this week, Zerblis earned second-team All-America honors by Pro Football Focus.
CSU was represented by four captains during each regular-season game, changing every week. A total of 12 players held the title at some point during the season, including Davis all 12 games. The Rams close the 2016 season against Idaho on Dec. 22 in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl in Boise.
