Drenched in sweat, panting heavily, and chugging Powerade, Cam Skattebo sat at the podium for the post game interview. “We just beat the No. 16 team in the country. Who says we can’t beat anybody else?” he said.
In the biggest game in years for Sun Devil football, Skattebo was dominant in the most important moments of the game, and ASU beat No. 16 Utah 27-19.
It was a back and forth affair throughout most of the game, with Utah striking first, kicking two field goals. ASU’s first possession was ended by a bizarre interception by quarterback Sam Leavitt on a pass that barely squeaked out of his hand and landed right into Utah defensive lineman Ka’eo Akana’s arms.
Despite the two early scores, Utah starting quarterback Cam Rising appeared out of sorts in his first game back from a lengthy injury. His accuracy with a glove on his throwing hand was shaky, and it forced the Utes to rely heavily on running back Micah Bernard.
On the other side, Leavitt quickly regained his composure and led an impressive scoring drive that ended in a touchdown throw to wide receiver Jordan Tyson. The extra point was missed. Leavitt kept the drive alive by scrambling several times on third down, showing an excellent amount of poise despite the awkward start.
After allowing two field goals on the first two drives, ASU’s defense locked down hard. The next result was a three and out in which Rising again seemed very uncomfortable. ASU’s offense gladly capitalized, with Leavitt leading another long drive down the field. However, in a heart-stopping moment, Leavitt stayed on the ground after a hard hit on a first down scramble.
“I got hit in the ribs, started to spasm, couldn’t really breathe,” Leavitt said.
He was luckily able to get up under his own power, but trips to the medical tent and to the locker room were disconcerting signs of how severe the injury potentially was. ASU backup quarterback Jeff Sims was able to come into the game and run in a score to put the Sun Devils up 13-6, but the stadium was holding its breath for news on Leavitt’s return.
The defense, meanwhile, continued to hold up its end of the bargain. Despite allowing Utah to again fight into ASU territory twice before halftime, largely due to Bernard, it limited the damage to just one more field goal, with linebacker Caleb McCullough intercepting Rising on the ASU 24 to end the first drive. It was part of an impressive showing for McCullough, who was only starting due to Keyshaun Elliot being suspended for the first half with a targeting call.
“Just amazing the way they stepped up,” head coach Kenny Dillingham said.
The kneel to go to halftime might have been the most exciting half-ending kneel ever, with Leavitt re-entering and foreshadowing a full return for the second half of a tightly-locked battle.
After both teams struggled to start the second half, with Rising throwing another interception, Utah finally had its first complete drive of the game, with Bernard bullying his way into the endzone at long last. It felt like the turn of the tide against ASU, with the defense’s energy waning and the offense struggling to regain the momentum it had before Leavitt’s injury.
Then, as has been the story all year, Skattebo put the team on his back. On a third and 2 on the 50 yard line, he broke the tackles of five different Utah defenders, scampering down the sideline to a touchdown as the stadium roared to life. It was an encapsulation of everything that has made Skattebo special: the toughness at the line of scrimmage, the burst through the second level, and the massive boost of energy his big plays provide to the entire team.
“Coach Dillingham says big time players make big time plays,” Skattebo said of the run. “I tell him to give me the ball every play.”
With just under six minutes left, Utah kicked another field goal to pull within one, and the ASU offense was given the ball back with the chance to either infuse hope into a fading Ute sideline or ice the game. After four plays again put the ball at about midfield, it was Skattebo who ensured the latter with another long touchdown run.
It capped another mind-boggling night for the senior running back, who finished with 199 total yards of offense and two touchdowns. To say he was the MVP of the game would be an understatement.
In a futile two minute drill, Rising threw up a prayer into the open arms of McCollough, who ended the game with an incredible statline of 12 tackles, two tackles for loss and two interceptions.
“Just to know that I got the interception and we got the win, I was very happy,” McCullough said.
A couple runs by Skattebo and three Leavitt kneel downs later, the field storming commenced. The players moshed with the student section at midfield, and Dillingham jumped up and down with fans behind him during his ESPN postgame interview.
During the interview, Dillingham shouted into the mic “This team fights, and they fight and they fight. That’s who you need to talk to, not me.”
Kenny Dillingham with an instant classic postgame interview after @ASUFootball takes down No. 16 Utah at home ?#Big12FB | ? ESPN pic.twitter.com/uyBXXEDETh
— Big 12 Conference (@Big12Conference) October 12, 2024
It marked by far the biggest win of the Dillingham era so far, and places Arizona State squarely in the hunt for the Big 12 championship, a place few thought they would even touch at this point in the season. The heart, resilience and toughness of this team was on full display, and now, with a signature win under their belt, there is a confidence to go with it.