ATLANTA - Entering the game as a near two-touchdown underdog, the first 24 minutes of Arizona State’s College Football Playoff quarterfinal matchup seemed to prove the oddsmakers right. Texas (13-2) held a commanding 17-5 lead over Arizona State (11-3) and seemed to be coasting to a semifinal Cotton Bowl contest against Ohio State. A 24-8 lead with 10 minutes left in the fourth quarter didn’t do much to dispel that sentiment.
The Sun Devils scored 16 unanswered points, forcing the game into overtime. In the second overtime, the Longhorns prevailed, as ASU redshirt freshman quarterback Sam Leavitt threw an interception. This ended an instant classic, with the Longhorns prevailing 39-31.
“That’s one of the best teams in the country,” ASU head coach Kenny Dillingham said. “And they've built that thing over four years to get to where they're at. And I have the utmost respect for (Steve) Sarkisian and that football team. I know our team does as well because that was a battle. When you look at it, did we belong on the field? I think a lot of people were questioning that, and I don't think any person questioned if we belonged on the field.”
With the Sun Devils down 24-8 with just 10 minutes left in the fourth quarter, Arizona State senior running back Cam Skattebo threw a 42-yard touchdown pass on 4th and 2 to ignite the team, and just a few minutes later caught a 62-yard pass down the sideline to set up his second touchdown of the game.
Skattebo was the first Peach Bowl MVP selection from the losing team in 26 years, and it was an honor well deserved on a day when he established ASU single-season school records in rushing yards (1,711), rushing touchdowns (21), total touchdowns (24), and scrimmage yards (2,316).
“The kid is competitive and passionate,” Dillingham expressed. “And if that’s a negative, then I don’t know what a positive is because kids that care and have compassion are the exact reason why we had a chance to win this football game. I love Cam, and we’re going to have a relationship forever.”
Coming into the year with just four games under his belt, Leavitt shattered all expectations that were set for him in his first season with the Sun Devils. In a game where he had ample time in the pocket, Leavitt made the most of his opportunities and will certainly be on some award watchlists for 2025.
“I just want to cherish everything that comes with the season,” Leavitt said with tears in his eyes. “This group of guys is so special, especially the two sitting next to me. It’s going to hurt me not to be with him (Cam) next year. I still have another year, but I’m just going to go into this next season and not take anything for granted.”
The Sun Devils were instantly hit with adversity as they were down 17-3 going into halftime. A string of defensive stops combined with halftime adjustments made by Dillingham and his staff allowed the Sun Devils to stay in the game and eventually tie it up at 24 to force overtime. The Sun Devils had to claw and scratch their way to nearly every win this year, and that extra fight is what got them into this position in the first place.
“We fought through everything all season,” Skattebo remarked. “We gave everything we had, and you saw it in that game. We believed in ourselves and what we had going, and undeniably, this is what this team is. Everybody on this team believes in each other, and that’s what kept us close.”
The call that will likely haunt many Sun Devil fans was a questionable no-call in the final minute of regulation. On 3rd-and-15, Leavitt hit graduate receiver Melquan Stovall over the middle, where he was leveled by Texas safety Michael Taaffe. The replay shows helmet-to-helmet contact as Taaffe lowers the crown of his helmet. Instead of a 15-yard penalty to move ASU deep into Texas territory with a minute left, they had to punt and wait for overtime to get the ball back.
The idea of targeting has been quite dramatic for ASU recently. Graduate nickel back and the defense’s back-to-back MVP Shamari Simmons had to sit out the first half of the Peach Bowl due to a targeting call in the second half of the Big 12 Championship game, a decision that ASAU was unsuccessful in appealing. Still, Simmons made his presence felt, forcing a fumble that resulted in a safety and ultimately sparking the comeback.
“I don't know what targeting is anymore,” Dillingham uttered. “We lost one of our best players in the first half for targeting, and I just don’t know what it is. I don’t want to comment on something that I have to get a better grasp of because I just don’t understand it. I do want to protect the players, so I’m all for whatever rules that are put in place to protect them.”
In his two years here, Dillingham has completely transformed the culture, just as he promised in his opening press conference in November 2022. A season that saw a school-record eight wins, an improvement from the previous season, proves that having players buy into a vision can help transform a program, and the energy from the players and staff throughout the season reflects that.
“Our culture is great,” Sophomore defensive tackle CJ Fite commented. “Coach Dillingham has brought players and bought into it, and nobody questions what we’re doing over here. When moments like this happen, we just go back to those training moments in spring. You know they all have your back, so we knew the brotherhood we have was going to keep fighting.”
Skattebo’s last game as a Sun Devil ended in heartbreak, but his impact in the maroon and gold will forever be remembered. He ended the game with 144 rushing yards, breaking Eno Benjamin’s single-season rushing record and finishing the year with 1,568 yards on the ground. Skattebo was everything that Dillingham could ask for in a player, and the two have left their fingerprints all over this program in the two short years they’ve been in Tempe.
“Coach Dillingham is going to have the longest future in coaching history,” Skattebo stated. “This kid next to me (Leavitt) is going to play on Sundays, and so am I. We three have a long life ahead of us; this is just the beginning. It’s awesome that I was able to play football for and with them, and I love these guys forever.”
Although the Sun Devils lost the Peach Bowl, ASU is now firmly on the college football map in a campaign that began with a 16th and last-place prediction in the Big 12 media preseason poll. The comeback Arizona State made today was a true microsome to the resolve the Sun Devils showed in many games this past season that culminated with a Big 12 championship.
Dillingham has continually talked about “Activating the Valley” this year, and an undefeated home record, conference championship, and College Football Playoff berth are undoubtedly effective ways to manifest his mantra.
“I think this sets a precedent for future guys that are coming to play here,” senior offensive lineman Ben Coleman pronounced. “We want to compete for championships, and now we’re in that position because we got ourselves into it. There’s still going to be some doubters next year, and we’ll be ready to prove them wrong again.”
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