Inside “Near Perfection” As Sun Devils Football Gets First SEC Win With a Dominant Performance
With less than two minutes remaining, the Sun Devils needed just 10 yards to clinch the game. Cam Skattebo stepped up and made ASU history.
On a play near the 50-yard line, Skattebo used his quick footwork to break outside and sprint down the right sideline, securing the victory for ASU. His performance was historic, as he rushed for 262 yards, the second-highest single-game total in the program’s history. Only Eno Benjamin, with 312 yards in 2018, has surpassed him.
The Sun Devils also achieved another milestone. Their 30-23 win over the Mississippi State Bulldogs was their first-ever victory against an Southeastern Conference team. Prior to this game on September 7, they had been 0-5 against SEC opponents.
Skattebo reflected on the game, saying, “Today was a lot of fun. It’s the most fun I’ve had in a football game in a long time, despite the ups and downs. You can ask the guys up front—we love pushing around guys who weigh 300 pounds.”
The offensive line had a strong performance, as the ASU rushing attack totaled 359 yards. The offense felt slighted by the Bulldogs’ early game plan.
“They couldn’t stop us with that three-down front,” Skattebo said. “We felt disrespected by them using a three-down front. You can’t expect to stop us with just five guys in the box.”
The key to the success was winning the battle in the trenches, a major factor in ASU’s 2-0 start.
“The guys are playing excellent football right now,” said head coach Kenny Dillingham.
Through the first two games, ASU has amassed 600 rushing yards while allowing just 70. “With that ratio, you’re going to win a lot of games,” Dillingham noted.
The Bulldogs managed to limit the passing game, with redshirt freshman quarterback Sam Leavitt completing 10 of 20 passes for 69 yards. However, he contributed 68 rushing yards and two touchdowns.
Despite the passing struggles, Leavitt demonstrated strong character, as Skattebo mentioned he “never complained once” about the focus on the run game. Even though the offense stalled at times in the second half, Leavitt took responsibility.
“They made some adjustments, brought extra pressure, and changed their coverages,” Leavitt said. “I need to get the ball to my playmakers and improve my protection checks. It’s on me to get better for next week.”
Dillingham appeared pleased with the defensive effort. Notably, the defense scored again for the second week in a row, with sophomore C.J. Fite recovering a fumble for a touchdown. This brings the total to three defensive touchdowns for ASU this season.
“I want our defense to be aggressive, and I think we demonstrated that tonight,” Dillingham said. “In the first half, we outscored them… I’d be interested to see how many times Jeff Lebby’s offenses have been held to those yardage and point totals over his career, considering he’s one of the top offensive coaches in college football.”
Dillingham has stressed the importance of focusing on one game at a time and not getting distracted by historic achievements, big crowds, or the spotlight.
“Enjoy the win with each other. Be smart and make good choices,” Dillingham advised. “You have until tomorrow around two o’clock to celebrate. After that, we need to move on and start preparing for Texas State.”