Sun Devils’ ground game explodes in win over Washington State

(Photo: Hailey Rokalski/WCSN)

TEMPE — With under five minutes to play in the second quarter and the score tied at 14, Arizona State junior running back Cameron Skattebo caught a pitch from redshirt junior quarterback Trenton Bourguet before following his blockers en route to a 66-yard run. The big play was the Sun Devils’ first 20-plus yard rush of the season, but to first-year head coach Kenny Dillingham, it represented much more.

For much of the 2023 campaign, ASU has struggled to generate explosive plays — categorized by plays at 10 yards or more through the run and 15 yards or more through the pass — especially on the ground, as it averaged under 100 rushing yards per game heading into Saturday’s game. However, the running game found its stride against the Cougars (4-4, 1-4 Pac-12), totaling a season-high 235 yards in the Sun Devils’ (2-6, 1-4 Pac-12) 38-27 win, their first Power 5 victory under Dillingham.

Against a WSU run defense that allows the second-most rushing yards per game (161.6) in the Pac-12, success on the ground seemed imperative to ASU finally returning to the win column.

“You gotta run the football,” Dillingham said. “I still think you have to run the football to win in college football. Throwing the ball is fun, right? It’s exciting, and it’s good. But at the end of the day, you have to be a physical football team. And teams that win championships play physical football, and they can run the ball.”

At 2-6, ASU is far from being considered a championship contender but showings like the one on Saturday certainly help set the foundation of a culture centered around executing the little details that Dillingham is trying to instill in the program.

Several times on Saturday, ASU’s ground attack benefitted from smaller, overlooked facets of the game — such as the offensive line creating gaps and the offense as a whole executing perfect timing on motions — that ultimately played a substantial part in the Sun Devils posting 38 points, its most in a game this season.

“[I’m] coming back to the sideline and just telling coach Dillingham everything they’re calling is working,” Bourguet said. “Line is getting a good push up front, receivers are making plays… Like I said, trust in the game plan, and we have so many weapons, and we still have some much more to put out there. But this is just one step forward.”

In addition to handing off the ball to Skattebo and junior running back DeCarlos Brooks — mixing tosses and outside handoffs with runs up the middle — Dillingham frequently got his wide receivers involved in the run game with pre-snap motions. ASU used this misdirection midway through the third quarter up 24-21, as junior wideout Elijhah Badger took an end around to the house for a 6-yard touchdown, cutting to the inside to escape an oncoming defender in the process.

“11 people just doing their job, that was point-blank,” Dillingham said. “It’s not a magical scheme. Guys just went out there, and they played hard and they executed.”

The best example of ASU’s offense executing run plays was on Skattebo’s long scamper in the second quarter.

“That was obviously the explosive run,” Dillingham said. “And that big one was huge in the football game. Credit to [redshirt senior tight end] Messiah Swinson, the guy that I really challenged… You have [graduate wide receiver Giovanni] Sanders blocking a defensive end, and then you have [Swinson] coming around and cleaning it up.

“Both of those guys are fifth, six-year seniors on a 1-6 team. That says everything you need to know.”

Throughout last weekend’s 15-7 loss to Washington, ASU’s run game showed signs of progression, logging a then-season-high 145 rushing yards. This success was thanks in large part to the return of Brooks, who had missed the previous four games due to injury and led his team with 63 yards on 12 carries.

And on Saturday, Brooks once again made his presence felt.

The California transfer and Chandler native recorded the performance of his career against the Cougars, totaling 67 yards on 11 carries in addition to three rushing touchdowns. While Skattebo was strong as the workhorse in Brooks’ absence, having another hard-nosed running back provided relief and lessened the workload on Skattebo.

“I think they just keep each other fresh,” Dillingham said. “They’re both similar runners, a little bit different but similar. So I think they just keep each other fresh, and you gotta keep guys fresh. And like I said, credit the [offensive] line, credit to everybody. We’re starting to play with the level of effort on a consistent basis, pushing the pile. Stuff like that wins.”

Despite Brooks’ three-score effort, Skattebo led the way on the ground with a rushing touchdown and a season-best 121 yards on 11 attempts. As per usual, the 5-foot-10, 225-pound running back couldn’t be easily brought down, breaking several tackles and extending plays by muscling his way through defenders. In short, Skattebo played an integral role in the Sun Devils’ success on the ground — like he has all season long — similarly to Brooks and Badger.

“It’s great to see them out there, and they’re just doing their thing,” graduate linebacker Travion Brown said. “Coach Dillingham sets up plays to get those guys the ball in their hand, and they make magic happen as you can see… They’re just out there making plays, but they’re having fun. And so it’s good to see that too.”

Even with newfound success on the ground, the Sun Devils will have their work cut out for them in the weeks ahead. ASU’s next three opponents — No. 13 Utah, UCLA and No. 8 Oregon — all rank top-three in the Pac-12 for fewest rushing yards allowed per game. However, Dillingham’s group will look to use Saturday’s performance as a building block and another step in the right direction.

“If we play complementary football, we can win football games,” Dillingham said. “[We’re] getting better every week, I can say that with confidence, we’re getting better every week. It may not show all the time, there may be some bumps, but we’re still getting better. And today, we put together a somewhat complete game…”