Arizona State’s best player is out on Saturday.
In its inaugural season in the Big 12, Arizona State football has emerged as one of the major surprises of the 2024 college football season. Under Kenny Dillingham’s leadership, the Sun Devils have pulled off several shocking upsets and have already secured bowl eligibility with a record of 6-2.
This weekend presents a tougher challenge for Arizona State as they prepare to face UCF. Star running back Cam Skattebo will be sidelined on Saturday due to a shoulder injury he sustained earlier this week, according to Brandon Marcello of 247 Sports.
“Sources tell @CBSSports/@247Sports that Arizona State running back Cam Skattebo (shoulder) will not play against UCF on Saturday,” Marcello reported on X, formerly known as Twitter. “He is currently the seventh-leading rusher in the nation, averaging 125.1 rushing yards per game.”
Skattebo is a key player for Arizona State, driving the offense with his performance. He has accumulated 1,001 rushing yards this season, ranking seventh in the country, along with 11 rushing touchdowns. Additionally, he is a vital target in the passing game for quarterback Sam Leavitt, standing as the Sun Devils’ second-leading receiver with 404 yards and two touchdown receptions.
Without Skattebo, Arizona State faces a challenging task on offense. However, the good news is that UCF has struggled this season, with a weak defense and a previous losing streak of five games before their victory against Arizona in Week 10.
Arizona State still in Big 12 title picture
The competition for the Big 12 title remains competitive, and Arizona State is still in contention with four games left to play, despite being predicted to finish last in the conference’s preseason media poll.
BYU currently holds the lead in the race for the conference championship and is the only undefeated team remaining in the Big 12 following Iowa State’s loss in Week 10. However, even with their perfect record, BYU was unable to move up beyond No. 9 in the initial College Football Playoff rankings heading into Week 11.
Next in line are Iowa State and Colorado, both with just one conference loss. Under Deion Sanders, Colorado has been playing strong football and has a relatively favorable schedule ahead, giving them a solid chance to reach the conference title game.
Following those two, there’s a large group of teams with two conference losses: Kansas State, Texas Tech, Cincinnati, Arizona State, and West Virginia. Each of these teams has an opportunity not only to challenge Iowa State and Colorado but also to re-enter the race for the Big 12 title game in Arlington.
Although Arizona State will be missing Cam Skattebo for this matchup, they are still favored to defeat the struggling UCF. After this game, the schedule gets significantly tougher, but it also presents opportunities for Dillingham and the Sun Devils to distinguish themselves. They will play Kansas State on November 16 before facing unbeaten BYU in Tempe.
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