On September 6, Amazon Prime released a documentary titled ‘Unstoppable,’ which captures the story of Arizona State wrestling legend Anthony Robles, who defied all odds to become the 2011 NCAA Individual Wrestling national champion.
On Saturday night, Unstoppable was certainly an apt description of ASU running back Cam Skattebo. His 262 rushing yards were not only a career height but also the second-highest mark in school history, averaging 7.9 yards per carry, which had him act as a constant thorn in the side of the Mississippi state defense in a 30-23 Sun Devil win in Tempe.
“I knew that coach [Marcus] Arroyo and coach [Kenny] Dillingham were going to put this one on my back,” Skattebo said of his offensive coordinator and head coach. “We repped, and repped, and repped, and repped, I’m always expecting to have it in my backpack but it's not an every-week thing. But this week it was, I was excited to do that I'm glad I was able to do that I’m glad these guys trust me to be able to do that, I love this game.
“I feel amazing, I think today was fun that’s the most fun I’ve had in a football game in a long time.”
Skattebo’s performance on Saturday was simply historic. He earned 297 all-purpose yards, led ASU in both rushing and receiving yards, and simultaneously accumulated the most yards he’s had in his collegiate career.
During Saturday's contest, every single yard was needed from the Sun Devils' key player, after an explosive first half that saw him rush for 137 yards, which eclipsed his 121 game-high in 2023, the running back punished the Bulldogs from the start, propelling his team to a 27-3 halftime lead.
Yet a second-half skid from ASU put the team in a vulnerable position late in the fourth quarter, leading just 30-23, a carbon copy of the first half; it was Skattebo who stepped up in the game's largest moments when he was called upon, rushing 11 times for 93 yards in the final quarter alone, including seven consecutive rushed that included a 4th down conversion as well as his longest run of the night traveling 39-yards to lock in the win.
Skattebo played with inexplicable buoyancy, not wavering in confidence at any point. He relayed that same notion to his offensive line as they schemed on running MSU into the dirt during the game's latter stages.
“Me and the O-line had a talk on the sideline, and I didn’t think going into that anyone was going to stop us. I put my belief in those guys they know I’m going to do my job back there behind them.”
Running the football became the mantra for Dillingham’s offense. The team picked up 23 of 26 first downs on the ground and had 57 total rushes compared to 20 attempts over the air. Skattebo's imprint on the game comprised 72% of ASU’s 415 total offensive yards while surpassing MSU’s total offensive yardage of 292.
“That was probably the most I ever rushed the ball in my career,” Dillingham admitted. “In terms of rush-to-pass ratio. So If the results are good you should probably keep doing it, What's the definition of insanity right?”
Dillingham and his staff decided to rely on Skattebo’s production to get them through an increasingly difficult ball game. MSU continued to crawl back from its 27-3 halftime deficit. When asked if the game plan was adjusted to feed Skattebo, Dillingham kept it simple.
“Yes, Dillingham paused. “Yeah, there was a moment in the middle of the second quarter when I looked up and [We had] 140 yards rushing, and he had 120 and eight yards per carry, let's keep doing that, please let's make them change it.
“Hand it to our best player, block him, and go get it. We’re running the ball well, right? Let's go get it; we’re going to try and win the football game.”
Skattebo spearheaded the Sun Devils' physical dominance on Saturday. Despite facing a sizeable defensive front from MSU, Skattebo credited his imposing night to the lack of reinforcement from its run defense.
“They couldn’t stop us in a three-down front; we all felt disrespected with them in a three-down front like you can’t come in here and put five guys in the box and expect to stop six. I knew these dudes were big and heavy, They weren’t as physical as most other teams, but they’re heavy, so I just kept my feet moving.
“That was fun you can ask these guys up front, bulling dudes grown men that are 300 pounds that's fun, the quarterback probably hates it but I bet he loves watching. He didn’t complain one time the whole game, I was there and told him all game give me the ball.”
The players up front had their work cut out for them, wrestling with the Bulldogs each snap, intending to make the running back job as simple as possible. Redshirt senior center Leif Fautanu is one of the leaders in the ASU offensive line group. The center praised Skattebo for his heads-up running and smart decision-making, which created the symbiotic relationship required to develop a dominant run game.
“I think the offensive line knew that we’re going to run this year and especially with a back like Skatt, who is very emotional, very passionate about what he does,” Fautanu noted. “So blocking for him just gives us the advantage, all we have to do is just get in the way and he’ll do the rest, he can run somebody over and get the first down.”
As a player who wears his heart on his sleeve and his energy in his shoulder pads, Skattebo had to develop mentally to become the central player in Tempe. Fautanu noted an obvious difference in his running backs influence on their teammates and the positive traits he oozes onto the Sun Devils.
“I think he's stepped up in the offseason,” Fautanu said. “He’s had more of a voice than last year, and I think he cares about the standard of the team; he’s very passionate about what he does, and you can tell he just wants to have the rock every play. He’s very much a great leader sometimes you have to tone him down a little bit, I feel like that is what we love to have in the backfield.”
Skattebo’s internal growth has positively impacted his play on the field, according to Dillingham, who referred to a moment in the 2023 season against UCLA when his running back made an ill-advised decision to rush for a touchdown while leading when he had the opportunity to continue the possession and run the clock down.
On Saturday, Skattebo had an eerily similar situation to manage. With his name written in headlines, the senior ran for 39 yards in pursuit of the endzone but slid on the 10-yard line, knowing his team could see the game out from there, pleasing his coach tremendously.
“The last time I told you to slide to win a game [Skattebo] scored it, make sure you slide. He ran as far as he could, and he could've scored a touchdown, and he slid, and that’s the growth that he’s had. The Skatt of last year goes and scores and gives them a chance, Skatt this year falls we take three knees and that’s the football game, that’s the growth he’s made as a person.”
All of Skattebo's personal growth from 2023 was with intention. His lifelong goal of playing in the National Football League has been a consistent source of motivation along his journey. Cutting down roughly a dozen pounds from last year and continuing to sharpen his skills mentally and physically, nights like Saturday prove to himself and the country what he is capable of and the strides he’s taken as a player.
“I challenged him last year,” Dillingham said. “I said, Look you want to play on Sundays right now you’re not, if you want to be you’re going to drop weight, get in better shape, and be faster, you’re going to control your passion and channel it. He’s done everything I’ve asked of him, so right now, that looked like a Sunday Player.”
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