Matt Campbell Reveals Injury Update on Carson Hansen Following Loss to Cincinnati

What is Iowa State Cyclones star Carson Hansen dealing with injury-wise?

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The Iowa State Cyclones were defeated for the first time this season, losing to the Cincinnati Bearcats on the road 38-30 on Saturday afternoon.

That drops their record to 5-1 overall and 2-1 in the Big 12. A major reason for the Cyclones falling short was the injuries piling up.

Coming into the game, Iowa State was already without its star cornerback duo, Jeremiah Cooper and Jontez Williams. During the game, another key contributor was forced to the sidelines because of an injury.

Running back Carson Hansen was injured on the second-to-last play of the first half while tackling Cincinnati cornerback Matthew McDoom. Unfortunately, he didn’t return to the field after halftime.

What injury did Carson Hansen suffer?

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There wasn’t much of an update provided during the game, but head coach Matt Campbell provided one after. It turns out that Hansen suffered a concussion on the play and was unable to play again.

"Carson got concussed, and we just couldn't put him back in the second half," Campbell said following the game, via Alec Busse of 247Sports. "So, hopefully, we'll know a lot more about that as we keep moving ourselves forward."

Before suffering his injury, Hansen was productive with the ball in his hands. He carried the ball six times for 33 yards, adding one reception for 11 yards.

Campbell believed that the star running back would be able to travel back to Ames with the team. But a full understanding of the extent of the injury was not yet available when he revealed that a concussion was the injury being dealt with.

Abu Sama III under pressure to replace Carson Hansen

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With Hansen sidelined, almost all of the work in the backfield fell on the shoulders of Abu Sama III. He responded as well as the coaching staff could have hoped that he would, showcasing an ability to consistently pick up chunk yardage.

Sama handled 18 carries, rushing for 96 yards. That is the most carries he has recorded in a single game in his collegiate career to this point. He was targeted three times in the passing game, catching two passes for eight yards.

If Hansen is unable to get back into the lineup next weekend, Sama will once again assume a massive role in the offensive game plan. There wasn’t another running back who recorded a carry in the game; the only other players to attempt a rush were quarterbacks Rocco Becht and Alex Manske.

The Cyclones will be back on the road next week, facing off against the Colorado Buffaloes, who are 2-4 on the season and 0-2 in the Big 12.