On fourth-and-13, in the first of two overtimes, the No. 4 Texas Longhorns (13-2, 7-1) had their backs against the wall: Trailing the No. 5 Arizona State Sun Devils (11-3, 7-2) 31-24, needing a first down conversion and a touchdown, Texas junior quarterback Quinn Ewers connected with junior wide receiver Matthew Golden for a 28-yard touchdown over the middle. The Longhorns scored a touchdown in their ensuing possession, forced a turnover and won the 2025 Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl over the Sun Devils 39-31 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
“We actually practiced that play versus that exact defense during the week,” Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian said about ASU’s cover zero approach on fourth-and-13. “There was some moving parts that to where Quinn had to change the protection on the play and he did.”
Despite the loss, senior running back Cam Skattebo sparked a furious Arizona State comeback in the fourth quarter. Whether it was throwing up on the sidelines, throwing a touchdown pass or bulldozing through defenders, he delivered.
After the Longhorns went up 24-8 with 10:17 left in the fourth quarter, the Peach Bowl’s Offensive MVP lofted a 42-yard touchdown pass on fourth-and-two to senior wide receiver Malik McClain. A minute and a half later, the 5-foot-11, 215-pounder powered his way into the end zone and scored the two-point conversion to tie the score at 24-24.
CAM SKATTEBO PASSING TOUCHDOWN?! 🤯
— DraftKings (@DraftKings) January 1, 2025
WE HAVE A ONE SCORE GAME 🍿👀pic.twitter.com/TIQxCe1Kf3
“He’s a special player,” ASU head coach Kenny Dillingham said. “It’s just Cam. It’s exactly what I expected, bottom line. You give him the ball crazy things happen.”
“Crazy things,” is what Skattebo accomplished in his last game in the maroon and gold: The Sacramento State transfer rushed for 143 yards, posted two rushing touchdowns and racked up 99 receiving yards on top of his passing touchdown.
This season, the 22-year-old finished fifth in the Heisman Trophy race’s voting and re-wrote multiple team single-season records. Those being single-season rushing yards (1,711), rushing touchdowns (21), total touchdowns (24) and scrimmage yards (2,316).
“ASU has changed my life forever in a good way,” Skattebo said. “They’ve supported me through everything, put me in a position to be successful.”
Sarkisian said ASU’s do-it-all running back was as advertised—contributing to the most rushing yards Texas’s defense has surrendered in a game this season at 214 yards.
In a game that included a 75-yard punt return touchdown for the Longhorns, a forced fumble in the end zone leading to an ASU two-point play, and a Texas game-winning 38-yard field goal attempt that clanged off the left upright as time expired, the Sun Devils gave the double-digit favorites a run for their money.
After being projected to finish last in its first season in the Big 12 Conference, Skattebo described Arizona State’s conference-winning season as undeniable. While the family aspect came to mind for the 34-year-old head coach, redshirt freshman quarterback Sam Leavitt went a different route.
“I feel like one of the best things is just passion,” the Sun Devils’ 222-yard passer and 60-yard rusher in the Peach Bowl said. “It’s pretty special. That stems from Coach Dillingham and the staff. We just have a different level of passion and something that I’ve never been a part of.”
In the end, Arizona State’s 510 total yards of offense and 37:54 time of possession weren’t enough to advance the Devils to the semifinal round of the College Football Playoff at the Cotton Bowl. Ewers’s 322 passing yards and four total touchdowns, paired with Golden’s 149 receiving yards and one touchdown, improved the Longhorns’ record to 2-0 all-time against the Sun Devils.
Although ASU lost in the CFP semifinal and must now deal with Skattebo’s departure, the future remains bright in Tempe. Dillingham—an ASU graduate and Scottsdale native—was inked to a five-year extension to remain as the school’s head coach.
“Coach Dillingham has got the longest future in coach history, I promise,” Skattebo said. “Then this kid next to me [Leavitt], he’s going to play on Sundays. I’m going to play on Sundays.”
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