ATLANTA — Kenny Dillingham, Cam Skattebo and Sam Leavitt tried their greatest to carry again tears as they tried to course of what their Arizona State squad simply endured. A day-long roller-coaster trip resulted in heartbreak with a 39-31 loss in double additional time to Texas within the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl on Wednesday, abruptly concluding their College Football Playoff run.
After developing one play in need of a surprising upset, Dillingham stated he had lots he’d like to alter about how the Sun Devils’ New Year’s Day finale performed out. But the second-year coach is aware of his gamers left little doubt they deserved to compete with the most effective.
“I believe lots of people have been questioning that,” Dillingham stated, “and I do not suppose any particular person questions if we belonged on the sector.”
The Sun Devils, predicted to complete final within the Big 12 within the league’s preseason ballot in July, achieved a outstanding turnaround from 3-9 to 11-3 in 2024. They earned the No. 4 seed and a first-round bye because the Big 12 champion regardless of ending No. 12 within the closing CFP committee rankings.
They appeared overmatched early of their first playoff recreation, rapidly falling behind 14-3. But from that time ahead, Arizona State did virtually the whole lot it wanted to do to outplay and outlast the Longhorns.
The Sun Devils outgained their foe 510-375 in complete offense. They wore down Texas’ protection, controlling the ball for practically two-thirds of regulation. They shut down Texas’ highly effective run recreation. They received a legendary efficiency from Skattebo within the closing recreation of his school profession. And in the long run, they furiously rallied from a 16-point deficit within the recreation’s closing seven minutes to pressure additional time.
“We gave the whole lot we had,” Skattebo stated.
They had their probability to win, main 31-24 within the first additional time, however could not get a game-clinching cease on fourth-and-13 and let Texas huge receiver Matthew Golden get huge open for a 28-yard rating. Five performs later, the Sun Devils’ season was over. Texas security Andrew Mukuba picked off Leavitt’s cross, and the No. 5 seed Longhorns survived.
“There are not any ethical victories when the season ends,” Dillingham stated. “There’s no such factor. This ought to harm and be painful. The locker room is dreadful proper now, and it needs to be. If it wasn’t, one thing could be fallacious. But on the identical token, now that that is over, I actually am going to problem our guys to mirror on the place it began, as a result of it truly is outstanding.”
Skattebo, the Sun Devils’ relentless senior operating again who completed fifth in Heisman Trophy voting, led the best way as he did all season with 143 speeding yards and a couple of touchdowns on 30 carries. He threw a 42-yard landing cross on a fourth-and-2 within the fourth quarter to spark the late rally, then burned the Longhorns for a 62-yard reception on Arizona State’s subsequent drive. He completed with eight catches for 99 yards. Despite the loss, Skattebo earned Peach Bowl offensive MVP honors.
“He’s a particular participant,” Dillingham stated. “It’s simply Cam. It’s precisely what I anticipated, backside line. When you give him the ball, loopy issues occur.”
Late within the third quarter, Skattebo was vomiting on the sideline between offensive possessions. He instructed reporters he drank an excessive amount of water too quick and felt “sloshy,” then felt a lot better afterward.
“Puke and rally,” Dillingham stated jokingly.
“That’s when it began,” Skattebo stated. “I had a tough first half, and I wasn’t feeling too good. That second half, it was a unique ballgame.”
The Longhorns restricted Skattebo to 45 speeding yards within the first half, however Arizona State nonetheless put collectively prolonged drives towards one of many prime defenses in FBS. Three drives into Texas territory have been halted on fourth-down stops, and one other ended on a missed area objective try.
“We moved the ball fairly successfully, really,” Leavitt stated. “We simply wanted to transform within the pink zone. I take accountability for lots of stuff that occurred.”
But the redshirt freshman quarterback additionally saved the Sun Devils within the recreation all through, throwing for 222 yards on 52% passing and repeatedly scrambling and operating from Texas’ protection, gaining 60 yards on his 13 carries.
Leavitt’s workforce received scorching when it mattered most, closing with a six-game win streak for the Big 12 championship. And Sun Devils did it once more in Mercedes-Benz Stadium, beginning with a security halfway via the third quarter that helped spark a run of three consecutive scoring drives to tie the rating.
Dillingham stated he regrets not placing his gamers in higher positions to capitalize on their scoring alternatives, and he took the blame for the quilt zero name that Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers beat for the 28-yard rating to Golden. Dillingham is aware of his workforce fought laborious sufficient to win.
“We performed actually, actually good soccer for many performs,” Dillingham stated. “The drawback with soccer is a few performs have been value much more than others. The performs that have been value quite a bit, they made extra of them.”
Those regrets do not detract from his appreciation for what Arizona State has achieved over his first two years in Tempe. The Sun Devils went 1-11 the season earlier than he arrived. He and his coaches tried their greatest to rebuild a tradition and a roster that may very well be aggressive. In simply 24 months, they constructed a contender.
After going toe-to-toe and two overtimes with a Texas workforce that is among the best within the recreation, Dillingham is aware of they’ve loads of causes to be proud.
“I hate to lose greater than anyone,” Dillingham stated, “however now that it is over, you possibly can mirror and the place these guys have come is an unbelievable testomony to the workforce. But, golly, that one sucks.”
After their closing recreation collectively, Skattebo and Leavitt held palms throughout their postgame information convention. They helped one another push via the ache as they tried to place in perspective a particular season that exceeded their wildest expectations.
“This is just the start for us,” Skattebo stated. “No matter what, these guys can be in my life ceaselessly. It’s superior that I used to be capable of play soccer for and with them.”
