The Arizona State Sun Devils played their best game of the season against the No. 5 USC Trojans, but ended up falling 34-28. Junior running back Cameron Skattebo, junior wide receiver Elijhah Badger and freshman linebacker Tate Romney spoke after the loss.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Skattebo’s Final Stats: 20 rushes for 111 yards and one TD | four catches for 79 yards and one TD | 2-of-3 passing for 42 yards | a 53-yard punt
Badger’s Final Stats: nine catches for 88 yards and one TD
Romney’s Final Stats: seven tackles, one for loss, one fumble recovery, one pass breakup, one QB hurry
Arizona State (1-3) plays its first road game of the season against the California Golden Bears (2-2) next Saturday at 12:00 p.m. MST.
The full transcript (via) ASU Athletics:
Arizona State Running Back Cam Skattebo
On the play-calling being different from previous games:
“It was super aggressive. We ran the ball a lot more than we have in the past. We were downhill attack. We knew we could run the ball on these guys and it was working. So we stuck with it. We called our shots when our shots needed to be called. We had a couple of mistakes that kind of bit us towards the end of the game. But I mean, I’m pretty happy for the most part. The defense and the offense are really coming together a lot more than the last three weeks on the sidelines. Felt more of a family out there, tighter knit, a lot more energy. It was beautiful out there with all the fans still there. You know, when I come out at half time and I see everybody still on the sidelines or everyone is still in the fan. It’s like they believe in us. So that was good to see. But yeah, it was nice to see the play-calling being aggressive and using his players as much as he could.”
On being used in various ways:
“I like to do everything. I believe I could do everything. So when they put me in those situations, I believe I’m gonna excel at them with the help of this dude right here. He made it happen on one of them. So I mean, I’m put in the right position with the right guys around me. So I’m just going to keep playing hard and trusting what the coach has got for us.”
On the last time you punted?
“The fourth game of my senior year and then I put it about 70 something yards.”
On the fake punt and his 52-yard touchdown reception:
“I’m gonna be in trouble tomorrow. The fake, the throw on the fake punt was not supposed to happen. But me and him were kind of in connection in the middle of the play. It wasn’t planned before, but I start yelling (ASU WR Elijah) Badger’s name and he looks over so I know he’s got my back if I put the ball in the air. But I mean, I expect to score every play. So on that last play, I just kept my feet and I was able to stay balanced and keep going.”
On if this game boosts confidence:
“Dillingham preaching in the locker room every day, we believe we can beat anybody in the country. We should have beat that team. We had a couple of mistakes late. They kind of got us, we had them on the ropes and then we kind of didn’t exceed in what we had planned, but it happens, we’ll be back next week and that’s it.”
On if it was the most complimentary football that the team has played all season:
“He does what he does. There’s a reason he has the best offenses in the country. And I mean, today it showed a lot, a lot today. We made a few mistakes and there wasn’t too much, mistakes in play calling, I would say we had a couple missed assignments and errors and stuff here. But, we were put in the right position to win that football game and had a couple of mistakes. That’s it, defense played their butts off the whole game. I honestly didn’t think they were going to score another point after 27. But once offense kind of slows down, it’s hard for the defense to continue to keep their foot on their necks. And I mean, they played hard. We played hard, just made a couple mistakes.”
Arizona State Wide Receiver Elijah Badger
On Kenny Dillingham calling plays and the rhythm that you got into tonight:
“I think he went into the game with a great plan and I think he was aggressive, aggressive play call and I just think he used everybody to the best of, to the best of their, everybody moving around motion in different tempos. And I think he just, the way he just came in with a good game plan. I think it helped us a lot from going into the games with just better game plans and I think we just score more points.”
On if this game boosts confidence
“I don’t think we ever just lost confidence. I think it just came back and kept practicing, kept the family together and we just knew what we could do and we put it out.”
Arizona State Linebacker Tate Romney
On if this game boosts confidence
“It was good to see. I mean, I think overall as a team we improved, I think there was like, Scott was saying before, there was more of a family culture on the sideline, everyone getting involved with each other. And that was good to see. Obviously, it’s not the outcome we wanted. And I mean, you can’t be too happy about that. You can’t ever be happy about losing, but there are good things coming forward and we feel like we can keep building from this.”
On how did the team kept a positive outlook with throughout the week
“I mean, Coach Dillingham is big on this. You always believe you have to win and I mean, everybody has to look in the mirror at themselves and say to themselves that we are going to win this game. That’s what it all comes down to is confidence, believing that you’re going to win. When you doubt that you’re going to win, that’s when bad things start to happen. And so, it starts with coach dealing from the beginning of the week, he told us we are going to win this game. And so it really helped us to get the confidence coming in practice and coming into the game.”
On How USC was able to rush for over 200 yards:
“I think they’re the top offense in the country coming into this. You obviously have Caleb Williams, he was calling out a lot of checks and stuff before plays. They were making a lot of adjustments pre snap. I think that led into a lot of that, you know, we didn’t execute plays like we wanted to. Yeah, it’s fortunate.”
WATCH: ASU Coach Kenny Dillingham Recaps 42-28 Loss to No. 5 USC
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Brendan Mau is a Phoenix Suns insider and college sports reporter for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on X via @Brendan_Mau
