From the coin toss to the final seconds on the clock, ASU running back Cam Skattebo had himself a busy night against Mississippi State, to say the least.
The California native had 33 carries and collected a career-high rushing 262 yards in the 30-23 win on Saturday. To put that into perspective, Skattebo recorded the second-most amount of rushing yardage in a single game in Sun Devil football history. Former Arizona Cardinal Eno Benjamin’s 312 yards from 30 carries against Oregon State on Sept. 29, 2018, remains at the top of the history books.
Because of his efforts, he was named Big 12 Football’s Offensive Player of the Week and The Associated Press Player of the Week.
Week 2⃣ #Big12FB Offensive Player of the Week
Cam Skattebo | @ASUFootball pic.twitter.com/0pDPOyDoTy
— Big 12 Conference (@Big12Conference) September 9, 2024
The Associated Press national football player of the week for Week 2 is Cam Skattebo of the Arizona State Sun Devils. Skattebo rushed for a career-high 262 yards and finished with 297 all-purpose yards in a 30-23 win over Mississippi State. https://t.co/3s21tsHN3S pic.twitter.com/lHeN6ewmof
— AP Top 25 (@AP_Top25) September 9, 2024
“I think today [Saturday] was fun, that’s the most fun I have had in a football game in a long time,” Skattebo said after ASU’s win.
The 5-foot-11, 215-pound running back received both honors after University of Arizona receiver Tetairoa McMillan did so last week when he stacked up 10 receptions for 304 receiving yards and four touchdowns vs. the University of New Mexico.
Skattebo’s 33 carries is the single-game high so far this season throughout the FBS. He didn’t end up scoring a touchdown, but his average of 7.9 yards per carry vs. Mississippi State helped his ASU teammates move up the field to score and ultimately win its first game against an SEC opponent in the program’s history.
From a near-flawless game as a team against Wyoming in the season opener to the victory over MSU, Skattebo knew a performance like this was something he had in his locker and just needed his coaches to give him the keys to execute.
“I knew from last week coming out of a Mountain West game and beating them [Wyoming] by 40 that coach [Marcus] Arroyo and coach Dillingham were going to put this one on my back,” Skattebo said. “I am always expecting to have it in my backpack but it’s not an every week thing, and this week it was. I was glad I was able to do that and I am glad these guys trust me to be able to do that. I love this game.”
Out of the plethora of carries on Saturday night, the most crucial one was his last play.
From 27-3 down at halftime to them storming back in the second half, Mississippi State made it a game with 20 points in the final two quarters to only be behind by one possession, 30-23 with five minutes left.
With the opportunity to run down the clock, Skattebo turned on the jets, dashed for 39 yards and slid just before the end zone so he could secure the win for ASU.
“Me and the O-line had a talk on the sidelines and I didn’t think going into that anyone was going to stop us, no matter who it was,” Skattebo said. “I put my belief in those guys and I do my job behind them. We had enough time on the clock to just burn it, and we won.”
*Get the BEST Phoenix sports insider information, and exclusive content. SIGN UP HERE to unlock our premium content!*
Reporter Alec Cipollini covers ASU Athletics, the Phoenix Mercury and more for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on his X account, @AlecCipollini
