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By Saleh Awwad
Cronkite News
TEMPE – Picked to finish last in the conference by Big 12 football media before the season, No. 12 Arizona State continues to defy all odds.
Following their dominant 49-7 Territorial Cup victory this past weekend, the Sun Devils (10-2, 7-2) are in position to earn an automatic bid to the College Football Playoff with a win Saturday against No. 16 Iowa State in the Big 12 championship game in Arlington, Texas.
Arizona State continues to lean on star running back Cam Skattebo. The senior added to his already breakout season against Arizona, rushing for 177 yards and three touchdowns on 21 carries. Skattebo is now up to 1,866 total rushing yards and 19 touchdowns in just 11 games this season.
The bruising ASU back forces opposing defenses to game plan around him, and he has made a strong case to become a Heisman Trophy finalist this year.
“What he’s accomplished is something special, and I think he should be talked about for that, whether he should win it or not, I mean, there’s two guys that are unbelievable right now,” ASU coach Kenny Dillingham said Monday. “But whether he should be in the conversation, I don’t think that’s a question.”
Added Wildcats coach Brent Brennan after Saturday’s loss: “Skattebo is a fantastic player, just so powerful, runs low to the ground and he’s hard to bring down. He does that to everyone they play.”
Following Saturday’s win to clinch a bid in the Big 12 title game, Skattebo stayed on the field to sign autographs and take photos with Sun Devil fans at Arizona Stadium.
“I play to win football games and put smiles on people’s faces,” Skattebo said postgame. “I do it because my teammates have my back and there’s nothing better than the brotherhood that football brings to your life.”
In this Saturday’s upcoming conference championship game, ASU will need to exploit a certain aspect of Iowa State’s defense. The Cyclones (10-2, 7-2) are coming off a 29-21 win against No. 24 Kansas State to clinch their spot in the conference championship game.
Highlighted by a stout pass defense that has allowed conference lows in completion percentage (52%), passing yards per game (156.9) and points per game (19.6), it’s easy to see why this team is playing for a conference championship.
While it is elite defensively behind the top pass defense in the Big 12, Iowa State has struggled against the run this season, to say the least. Allowing five yards per carry and 173.7 rushing yards per game – it will be a tough ask of their defense to stop one of the country’s top backs in Skattebo.
However, the Sun Devils will not be at full strength offensively. Dillingham announced Monday that the team will be without top wide receiver Jordyn Tyson – who is out indefinitely with an injury.
Considering Iowa State’s elite pass defense and Tyson’s injury, moving the ball through the air will not be an easy task for the Sun Devils. The junior’s absence will prompt Arizona State to make offensive adjustments quickly.
“What definitely makes it more difficult is obviously (Jordyn Tyson) demands two people to cover him,” Dillingham said. “You’ve got to find more creative ways to win those one-on-one matchups.”
On the offensive side of the ball, the Cyclones can do it all. They lean on a pair of running backs in sophomores Abu Sama III and Carson Hansen. The two have combined for 1,165 yards and 13 touchdowns on the ground this season.
In contrast to Iowa State’s defense, ASU has done a great job stopping the run, allowing just 3.8 yards per carry and 116.8 rushing yards per game.
Still, where the Cyclones have hurt their opponents the most offensively this season is through the air. Senior wide receiver Jayden Higgins, who stands at 6-feet-4, leads the team in all receiving categories with 80 catches for 1,068 yards and nine touchdowns. Fellow senior receiver Jaylin Noel has also surpassed 1,000 receiving yards on the season.
The Cyclones average 31.2 points per game – just shy of ASU’s 32.1 points per game. When asked what about the biggest challenge that Iowa State poses to the Sun Devils, Dillingham did not hesitate to answer.
“Physicality,” Dillingham said. “When you watch this team play, the toughness, the physicality across the board, is the clear identity that they have in the program.”
This will be a tough battle, but one that the Sun Devils are well equipped to win. Kickoff is set for 10 a.m. With the game being played at a neutral site at AT&T Stadium, Dillingham urged Arizona State fans in Arizona and Texas to attend and support the team.
“What I hope is big-time alumni from that region show up to that game,” Dillingham said. “Football and sports are great connectors, and this is an opportunity to connect people back to the program who have maybe been disconnected for years.”
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