ASU Head coach Kenny Dillingham announced at practice on Wednesday that junior linebacker Keyshaun Elliott will miss Saturday’s contest against UCF after suffering a neck stinger injury in the second half of the Oklahoma State game. In his absence, redshirt senior linebacker Caleb McCullough will be expected to fill Elliot’s role after leading the team in tackles against the Cowboys.
“Keyshaun Elliott is going to be out this week,” Dillingham said. “Hopefully, we’ll get him back before next week, but we’ll see how that progresses. You’ll definitely see more of Caleb in there, and we’ve been rotating linebackers pretty well. When you lose one guy out of that rotation, the other guys just step up a little bit more.”
Additionally, Dillingham also had no update on senior running back Cam Skattebo, who is not practicing this week but, since he remains “doubtful to questionable,” is still a longshot chance to play Saturday. Even if the four-time Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week misses his first game of the year, Dillingham doesn’t feel that will change the landscape of the schemes and game plans.
“One player doesn’t define the scheme you put in,” Dillingham remarked. “Sometimes they can, but you have to put together the best plan for your football team. If Skat’s involved in that, great, but if he’s not then we’re just going to have to get a feel for this specific game. We put together a plan, and we’ll just get a feel for the game and go from there.”
Skattebo has already eclipsed the 1,000 rushing yards mark this season (1,018), largely due to his offseason work and the five offensive linemen in front of him. Last year, ASU's front five was hit all year long with injuries, but this year fortunate to have better health on their side, they’ve gotten the chance to work together throughout the year and solidify their chemistry and connectivity.
“They’re playing well and meshing together,” Dillingham stated. “We’ve had the same guys be with each other for most of the season, which is always a positive. Even though only two of the guys in the seven-man rotation technically have to leave after the season, four of the other five guys can return for another year. They’ve done such a good job merging together and believing in the vision that Coach Saga has put together.”
UCF leads the Big 12 in rushing yards and is second among FBS schools with 2,451, as senior running back RJ Harvey ranked third in the country and tops in the conference with 1,201 rushing yards. Dillingham highlighted the Golden Knight star’s ability to turn short gains into powerful runs, and could possibly be at the top of the running back gauntlet the Sun Devils have and will face this year in Big 12 play.
“He could be the best back we’ve faced all year,” Dillingham commented. “He’s dynamic, he’s explosive, and they're committed to running the football. When you have a guy that is that dynamic, and you commit to giving him the ball, he's gonna break loose and make a play. The challenge isn’t yards per carry; it’s how many times we stop him for a defensive win.”
Dillingham will face a familiar foe in UCF head coach Gus Malzahn. Malzahn was the head coach at Auburn when Dillingham was the offensive coordinator in 2019. With 105 wins, Malzahn is the 10th-winningest active coach in college football, and Dillingham is excited for the challenge he knows his old coach will pose.
“We probably talk on the phone a couple of times a year,” Dillingham voiced. “We see each other at the coach's convention, but he’s one of the most successful active coaches. He’s been doing this for a long time; he’s won a lot of games, and his guys played really hard last week. This is going to be a great challenge.”
Sophomore running back Kyson Brown spelled Skattebo when he left the game in the second half and is expected to be the starter if Skattebo can’t go on Saturday. Brown had a career-high 15 carries and 63 yards, scoring twice in his breakout performance. Offensive coordinator Marcus Arroyo is confident in his running back room and in their ability to fill the void Skattebo leaves behind, as it also provides a sneak peek at the future when Skattebo exhausts his eligibility at the end of this season.
“He’s done a good job for us,” Arroyo mentioned. “He understands the passing game, running game, protections, and he’s got skills on all critical downs. There are obviously some special things that Skat does, but at the end of the day, we have to put guys in position to see what they’ve got. Kyson has a great opportunity, and I think we’re all really excited about it. It’ll help define this weekend and the future.”
UCF is not extremely potent on offense with the run game, but they have also held in check opponents’ ground attacks, allowing the third-least rushing yards per game in the Big 12 at 117.8. While their passing defense conversely ranks 13th, they are not a secondary to take lightly.
“They do a really good job on defense,” Arroyo recognized. “They stop the run well with those interior guys, and they're as good as we’ve seen. In the back end, they’re athletic and long; they can run and catch, and I think they’ll do a great job. There’s going to be no easy outs with these guys; they know where they need to be.”
After missing ASU’s game against Cincinnati due to injury, redshirt freshman quarterback Sam Leavitt bounced back against Oklahoma State with 304 passing yards and three touchdowns. Arroyo has noticed every week Leavitt is out on the field, he’s becoming more comfortable in his role and demonstrating constant improvement.
“I think the game is starting to slow down for him,” Arroyo expressed. “There’s been a lot of different things that are showing up each week. There was a lot of rust on Tuesday’s practice when he came back, and I got after them pretty hard. They responded really well and played as a team.”
On the defensive side, junior cornerback Laterrence Welch shined in the absence of redshirt sophomore Javan Robinson, who left the game after re-aggravating a shoulder injury, posting four pass breakups in the second half. Defensive coordinator Brian Ward spoke on how Welch’s battle through early season injury and adversity led up to this moment.
“He was banged up earlier in the season, and that’s why he wasn’t playing for us,” Ward noted. “He’s been a part of the plan since last spring, and now getting him healthy and confident has been the key to his development. Actually, being able to apply it last week was great, and he showed it on the field. I’m really proud of him and happy for his performance.”
Ward also recognized Harvey's talent in the backfield and his ability to extend plays. The defensive line will have arguably its greatest challenge yet, with Harvey displaying a talent level that could likely get him drafted to the NFL following this year.
“He’s a Sunday guy,” Ward stated. “Everybody’s goal is to get to that level and be able to play in the NFL, and you just know he’s going to be a day one or two draft pick. There are some great running backs in this league, but I would say he's the most dynamic and explosive. He can turn a three-yard run into a 50-yard gain or touchdown, and his style of play could cause a lot of problems for us.”
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