- Slug: Sports–Skattebo Peach Bowl, 550 words.
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By Patrick Holleron
Cronkite News
ATLANTA – One moment, he is vomiting on the sidelines. The next, he is throwing a touchdown pass.
If anyone needed to see a quintessential Cam Skattebo game, Wednesday’s Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl meeting with Texas was it.
Although the 39-31 overtime loss wasn’t the ending to his college career he wanted, Skattebo was determined to give everything he had for the team he calls family.
“No matter what, these guys will be in my life forever,” Skattebo said in his postgame press conference. “It’s awesome that I was able to play football for and with them. And I’m just happy to be in the position I am in, and for (coach Kenny Dillingham) to put me in a role to be successful.
“And then Sam (Leavitt) executes to help me be successful. Just hats off to those guys, and I love those guys forever.”
Nothing was going to stop Skattebo from giving his all for his family, including suffering from fatigue and vomiting on the sidelines. In the postgame press conference, he shrugged it off as if nothing happened and even hinted at it being the start to his spectacular performance in the fourth quarter.
“I drank too much water too fast, and I was kind of feeling sloshy,” Skattebo said. I felt a lot better after throwing up and that’s when it all started. I had a rough first half, and I wasn’t feeling too good. That second half, it was a different ballgame.”
Breaking multiple tackles, running through hordes of defenders and throwing a 42-yard touchdown pass were just a few of the jaw-dropping things Skattebo did to help spark the Sun Devils’ comeback bid after trailing the Longhorns 24-8 with 10:17 to go in the fourth quarter.
In his final game in the maroon and gold, he finished with 284 total yards and three touchdowns. His efforts earned him the Peach Bowl Offensive MVP award, marking the first time since 2007 that a player on the losing team won the award.
For his coaches and teammates though, it’s the things that aren’t recorded on the stat sheet that they value the most about him.
“The kid is competitive,” coach Kenny Dillingham said. “The kid is passionate. Kids that care, have compassion and believe is the exact reason why we had a chance to win the football game. I love Cam, and we’re going to have a relationship forever.”
While many hoped Skattebo and Arizona State would end the season winning a national championship, what they accomplished this season is still a significant success. ASU was predicted to finish last in the Big 12 conference. Nobody expected them to make the playoffs, let alone be a top 4 seed.
In other words, this season was something special that will be remembered as the team makeup changes next year, led by Skattebo, who is out of eligibility and surely headed for the NFL draft.
“I just want to cherish everything that comes with the season,” Leavitt said. “It’s special with this group of guys. The amount of time that I spent with them and the work we put in. It’s just going to hurt me not to be with (Skattebo) next year.”
The Sun Devils defied all odds to put themselves on the map.
Skattebo was a big reason why.
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