(Photo: Marina Williams/WCSN)
TEMPE — Sitting in the media room below Mountain America Stadium, senior running back Cam Skattebo provided a candid assessment of Arizona State football’s season opener against Wyoming.
This year’s Sun Devils team is different — vastly different — than the one that solemnly walked off the field following a convincing defeat to Arizona that cemented a second consecutive 3-9 campaign 280 days ago.
“I saw it for myself,” Skattebo said. “I felt more comfortable on the sidelines. I got taken out with eight minutes left in the third quarter. That’s a good feeling.”
After all, ASU had just picked up its largest margin of victory since routing rival Arizona 70-7 in Tucson on Dec. 11, 2020, kicking off their coach’s second season at the helm on an extremely high note. What’s more is that the Sun Devils (1-0) out-gained Wyoming (0-1) 499-to-118 in a dominant 48-7 win.
“Our kids love football,” Dillingham said. “I think that was the easiest thing to take away, is the passion they have for the game. They play really hard, they practice really hard, so (Saturday’s win) is a reflection of how we’re practicing. We played hard, but what I was proud of was we grew from a playing smart (standpoint).”
Leavitt Shows Poise:
Saturday was a big day for quarterback Sam Leavitt, who entered uncharted territory when he first took the field 4:59 into the opening quarter. The redshirt freshman played in four contests with Michigan State last season, completing 15 of his 23 passes for 139 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. However, all four of those appearances came after the Spartans’ first drive, and many wondered if his first career start for a new school would generate any nerves.
It didn’t.
The fact that he came into the game with his team already up seven thanks to a 29-yard pick six from redshirt junior linebacker Zyrus Fiaseu certainly helped. While Leavitt’s first drive of the night ended in a field goal following a five-yard sack, both his talent and poise were evident all game long.
“I actually wasn’t too nervous going into this game,” Leavitt said. “That’s a testament to the coaching staff and the team preparing and having answers for every situation… I didn’t do anything special tonight, just got the ball to my playmakers and let them make plays, and we had great results.”
Leavitt wrapped up his night going 14-for-22 and accruing 258 yards and two touchdown passes. He wasn’t afraid to use his legs and finished with eight rushes and 47 yards on the ground. Such a willingness to scramble came up huge when his offense’s back was against the wall, as he picked up two third-down conversions on scrambles.
In addition to his arm strength, Leavitt showed calmness when facing pressure in the pocket. Perhaps the best example of this came on first-and-10 at the Wyoming 25-yard line just under four minutes into the third quarter.
Facing pressure from sophomore defensive end Kevin Sjogren as he dropped back, the Oregon native moved up in the pocket before throwing across his body to redshirt junior tight end Chamon Metayer. 25 yards later, he waltzed into the end zone to increase ASU’s lead to 34-0.
“I thought he was poised,” Dillingham said. “Before the game, I just told him to ‘be yourself, and when in doubt, run.’… What I was proud of is he took that and he applied it to the game, and we talk about all the time on first and second down, we don’t need you to be a superstar, we need you to manage the game. It’s third downs when you can extend plays.
“And that’s where his running showed up… So I couldn’t be more proud of how he executed the plan.”
Running Back Depth Delivers
Despite Leavitt’s promising performance, ASU’s running backs dealt the most damage to the Cowboys on Saturday night. Coming into the season, that position group was expected to be one of the Sun Devils’ deepest, and that sentiment certainly held true in game one.
The Sun Devils ran for 241 yards and two rushing scores with three backs finding the end zone. It was an uncharacteristic result for a Wyoming team that had a run defense that ranked top-50 nationally in 2023.
“It was balanced,” Dillingham said of the run game. “We got to keep guys fresh. You can see we even got (freshman Jason Brown Jr.) in there late, and just glad to be able to get him some reps.”
Senior Cam Skattebo left his fingerprints on the game early, receiving the ball on three plays during the Sun Devils’ first offensive drive of the night. He totaled 49 yards on 11 touches and scored his lone touchdown of the game in the second quarter, extending his team’s lead to 24-0 by punching in a direct snap — in a formation that was heavily utilized last season and became known as “WildSkat” — for a three-yard score.
Earlier in the first half, redshirt senior DeCarlos Brooks notched the Sun Devils’ first offensive touchdown of the night with an eight-yard run that saw him break a tackle en route to his score. With three-and-a-half minutes left in the third, sophomore Kyson Brown caught a screen and rode multiple blocks for a 68-yard score.
ASU’s ground game received a significant boost from its offensive line, which is yet another position that entered the 2024 campaign far deeper than it was a year ago. On Saturday, Wyoming only logged five tackles for loss and two sacks despite possessing an experienced and talented defense.
“I think with all those running backs and everything they did tonight, our (offensive line), you’ve got to really tip your cap to how they played the game tonight. I can count on one hand, it may be two fingers the amount of times that there was a potential TFL. And when you face a really good defense that doesn’t allow teams to run the football with their returning starters, and you don’t have guys in the backfield all night in the running game, kudos to (the offensive line).”
