The Sun Devils’ College Football Playoff quarterfinal opponent boasts a defensive stat that would fill any fanbase with concern. The Longhorns are allowing 13.39 points per game at 24, yielding an average of 104.5 rushing yards, and holding foes to an average of 30.2% third-down conversions.
In a 38-24 win versus Clemson, while the Longhorns gave up a score in each quarter, the 24 points generated by the Tigers were earned through difficult, tedious drives. Texas allowed just 76 total rushing yards, sacking Clemson quarterback Cabe Klubnik three times, recording an interception, and forcing the Tigers to turn the ball on downs on their opponent’s two-yard line.
Adhering to Arizona State’s offensive coordinator Marcus Arroyo and the Sun Devils' style of play has proven fruitful time and again, and even the Longhorns’ daunting figures on defense can appear manageable with applied context. Much like Iowa State in the Big 12 Championship game, redshirt freshman quarterback Sam Leavitt and the aerial attack will encounter a stingy unit that concedes a paltry average of 156.8 passing yards.
Arroyo’s trust in Leavitt derives from the numerous signs of improvement and determination that are unmatched by most players with his experience.
“I don't know if it's a surprise at this point. I think the one thing about a young quarterback, freshman quarterback, usually that's the thing that makes you go wow is the ability to be consistent in that work ethic,” Arroyo said. “When you've got a guy who's got that ability to stay focused that long over the course of the season, such a young quarterback, and get better every week and come back to work every week and challenge himself to go, all right, I'm going to get better this week as a young player, that consistency as a young guy, that persistence is the thing that you're like, okay, this is what you kind of maybe thought you had a sense on when you met somebody when you recruited them, you're like, does he have that little piece?
“That ultra-competitiveness and that ability to continue to keep the pedal down as a young guy and want to get better and not be real critical of himself and not be satisfied is probably the most exciting part of his maturity.”
Regardless of the schematic adjustments Arroyo will employ, one thing for certain is that the offense will run through Senior running back Cam Skattebo. ASU’s most potent weapon has dominated on the ground all season, leading the Big 12 Conference in all-purpose yards per game at 172.8. Following the Big 12 title game, where Skattebo was awarded the Most Outstanding Player award, he told the media that he believed he was the best running back in college football.
Many believed the apparent sudden change in demeanor was aided by the euphoric energy of winning the league title, but weeks later, Skattebo’s message was consistent. He relayed his confidence just days before the biggest game of his football career.
“I'm in one of the four biggest conferences in the country, and I'm doing it at the highest level,” Skattebo said. “That's simple. I believe that I'm the best because I always think I'm the best. I'm going to continue to think I'm the best even if I'm a third-string in the NFL or a starter, I'm going to still think I'm the best in the league just because that's who I am and that's what I believe in. If you have that mindset, you never know where you can end up. I constantly preach that to myself.
“My stats have been what they have been, but if you really watch the tape, it's different. Then also I've missed a football game this season. Imagine if I didn't miss a football game. Imagine if I didn't have an injury that caused me to miss a football game. It could be a completely different story standing here today.”
When the Longhorn defenders were questioned about Skattebo’s dominance and containing him, those players gave high praises to the ASU running back, with defensive tackle Alfred Collins calling him a ‘Stud,’ knowing the amount of attention he’ll garnish Skattebo’s approach won’t alter based on the opponent displaying the mantra Arroyo claimed.
“I think that's the thing people mistake on is why do I need to be different?” Skattebo asked. “I'm just going to play my game. That's what's been successful for me. That's what's going to continue to be successful for me. We don't need to change anything to be successful. We need to play our brand of football the way we play it. If I do what I do, we'll be just fine.
“I appreciate those guys for saying it, but I don't feel I need to change anything in my running style or the way I run or how I do it. I think if I play my brand of football, then I'll be just fine.”
Redshirt freshman quarterback Sam Leavitt has been placed in a unique position for a first-year starting quarterback at the collegiate level. With a paramount level of responsibility as a leader and signal caller, the adaptation of playing at the highest level at such a young age is comparable to others in his position.
“It's kind of tough,” Leavitt said about leading teammates through a stressful game. “You can't really change someone's perspective and opinion on certain things in such a short amount of time. I would just say don't let the occasion and the game change anything that we do in terms of preparation and how we play because why should it? At the end of the day, we're still on a football field playing with the same people we've played with since spring ball. We saw what we did at the Big 12 Championship, so I'm not too worried about it.”
One aspect Leavitt mentally has grown accustomed to is the underdog position, as the oddsmakers predict Texas as the biggest winner of any College Football Playoff quarterfinal game, coming in as 13.5-point favorites. For the ASU faithful, the consistent ambiguity placed on the program has become a calling card to their motivation.
“Even going into this game, I feel like I'm still disrespected and we are as a team in general. That's a common goal for our entire team and everything like that,” Leavitt said. “Just more fuel to the fire. I kind of understand it preseason and stuff like that, but as we progressed throughout the year and kept proving people wrong, and now people see the product that we have, I'm a little confused by the score predictions.
“But I'm super hyped about it. Opportunity is all you can ask for. Now, I get an opportunity to go play on the biggest stage and do what we do. Who cares what everybody else thinks?”
In the trenches, the ASU offensive line is preparing for another tall task against the Longhorns. Led by senior center Leif Fautanu, the position group makes the engine that powers Arroyo’s aggressive offense. Fautanu was recently nominated as a finalist for the Polynesian College Football Player of the Year by the Polynesian Football Hall of Fame, a nomination he humbly credits his teammates with.
“I'm blessed to have those types of accolades, but I think it all goes back to the people I play around,” Fautanu said. “[Skattebo], Sam, the other offensive linemen that make me look good. All I do is snap the ball, and I just get in the way most of the time. At the same time, I feel like Ben [Coleman], Kyle [Scott], Josh [Atkins], and Max [Iheanachor] and all those guys have made my job that much easier. All I do is just snap the ball and think, but at the same time, it's also to play around guys that care, and I feel like that's kind of what are the mantra of our offensive line is, and I think that's kind of what I'm trying to do as well, trying to instill the mantra that we care and that we're going to be physical.”
As a veteran and a Pat Tilman Leadership Council member, Fautanu is looked upon by all areas of the Sun Devil roster for guidance, a role he continues to do by example. When asked about how he aids his teammates in starting off the Peach Bowl matchup on the front foot, Fautanu notes it all starts well before the team arrives in Atlanta, as their work ethics in the weeks leading up to the game is all the preparation they’ll need.
“That goes back to how we practice. We've done a really good job in practice of starting fast,” Fautanu remarked. “I think that's kind of the identity of our offense. We start fast, and we don't really make a lot of mistakes on offense. Hopefully, that carries over to the game on Wednesday, where we can take our practice reps into the game reps, and I feel like that's kind of what we were able to do in this week's practice to start fast and have really crisp and really good practices. I feel like that's what's going to carry over into the game.”
Arroyo’s coaching career has taken him down a winding road of time at San Jose State, Oregon, and most recently head coaching at UNLV. With over 20 years of experience at the collegiate level, he’s now able to use those moments to the advantage of his players, giving some necessary pep talks and advice when applicable over the course of Peach Bowl preparations.
“Whether it was the Sugar Bowl or whether it was the Rose Bowl or Alamo, whatever it may be,” Arroyo stated, “I think opportunities for me to share with those guys, ‘Hey, here's some things that we've got to look out for and distractions’ or whatever the case may be. You're in a neutral site, and I think that [Big 12 Championship] helped being away, being at another big site and away from it, but I think as far as like the mindset and the ability for these guys to go back to work.
“They've really latched onto the reality that it's more about the actions and attitudes and habits of preparing for a game than it is in the game itself. We've talked about it for a long time since I've been here is, just the score will take care of itself. Focus on the things that we've got to focus on. Don't starve your distractions. Just have fun working your tail off, and they've done a great job of that all week. It's been reflected in how the seasons unfolded.”
With nearly four weeks separating ASU’s Big 12 Championship victory over Iowa State and its Peach Bowl matchup with Texas on New Year’s Day, the Sun Devils took full advantage of the time off, allowing players to get healthy and deep-dive into their game plan.
“From a health standpoint, you always like the bye,” Arroyo commented. “We got a chance to work with some young guys. There was an advantage in that regard. I think bowl season, a lot of times, what we get a chance to do is, you get a chance for a lot more practices, so you get a lot of young guys working. You get a chance to evaluate your roster. Added the transfer portal to this, so that made it complete chaos, which is a little bit different than you want. So, you're recruiting, you're getting young guys a lot of work. You don't really know who you're playing up until last week, so it's not much of a time difference because you're not going to start preparing for somebody you're not going to play. I think just a chance to see your young guys get some more work in, get healthy, that piece of it's been good.”
When deciding whether or not to accept the role of Arizona State Football’s next offensive coordinator, Marcus Arroyo opted to gamble on a second-year head coach of a program that finished 3-9 in back-to-back seasons. It wasn't only Kenny Dillingham who convinced him that this would be a prudent career move, but also University President Dr. Michael Crow and Athletic Director Graham Rossini who laid out a vision for the program that was enticing for Arroyo to be a part of.
“I’m no different from anyone else when choosing a profession, there was a really dark cloud over this place I was apprehensive,” Arroyo admitted. “At the end of the day, I think when great people align, you can accomplish great things. When I started to see that alignment and meet those people and see what commitments they’d made when they weren't convenient, that showed me the trust and belief people have in a movement.”
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