Nov 30, 2024; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils running back Cam Skattebo (4) celebrates after defeating the Arizona Wildcats during the Territorial Cup at Arizona Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
AMES — Media members picked Iowa State to finish sixth in the new-look Big 12 this season. As for Arizona State? The Sun Devils were slated to finish at the very bottom as a first-year team in the league.
So, naturally, AP-No. 12 Arizona State (10-2) and the 17th-ranked Cyclones (10-2) sat atop the conference standings after all the dust (and snow) settled early Sunday morning and will tangle for a Big 12 title this Saturday at 11 a.m. (ABC) at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
Both teams finished 7-2 in league play, as did BYU and Colorado, who failed to reach the league championship game because of tiebreakers.
So ISU gets its second crack at a Big 12 title in the Matt Campbell era — and this time, if the Cyclones win, they’ll reach the expanded College Football Playoff for the first time in program history. So the stakes and tension are both high, especially when one looks at five of the Sun Devils’ top players to know:
RB Cam Skattebo
Former Alabama coach Nick Saban’s “favorite” college football player does it all with power and panache. The 5-11, 230-pound senior’s rushed for nearly 1,4000 yards for the second time in the past three seasons, and his 17 rushing touchdowns are tied for the second most among Big 12 tailbacks. Skattebo also ranks second on his team in catches (35) and receiving yards (a career-high 468). He’s scored at least one touchdown in eight of the Sun Devils’ past nine games — and he’s rushed for three touchdowns in each of his team’s last two wins. Skattebo’s rushed for 39 career touchdowns and caught seven touchdown passes in the past four years.
QB Sam Leavitt
The 19-year-old from West Linn, Ore., boasts the highest season grade among freshmen (88.5) on either side of the ball who’ve played 400 or more snaps, according to Pro Football Focus College. Leavitt, who transferred from Michigan State in the offseason, has thrown a Big 12-low five interceptions while tossing 21 touchdowns to six different players. The 6-2, 200-pound redshirt freshman is also a Campbell runner, totaling 350 yards on 90 carries this season. He’s reached the end zone four times as a runner and has rushed for 40 or more yards five times this season. Leavitt’s thrown for 245-plus yards seven times this season — and his 275-yard, three-touchdown performance fueled a 24-14 upset in a Kansas State three weeks ago.
TE Chamon Metayer
The 6-4, 255-pounder Cincinnati transfer has been an important target all season and ranks second on the team in touchdown catches with five. Three of the scoring grabs have come in the past four games — and his role will likely expand greatly because the Sun Devils’ leading receiver, Jordyn Tyson, is out because of an injury sustained in last week’s 49-7 rout of Arizona. Tyson’s totaled 1,101 receiving yards and ten touchdowns through the air, so expect the passing offense to lean on Metayer and Skattebo, while senior Xavier Guillory tries to replace Tyson as the top downfield receiving threat. Metayer’s an elite athlete who also starred as a basketball player in high school, so he should be eager to step into the spotlight.
S Myles Rowser
The hard-hitting 6-1, 185-pound junior from Detroit leads the Sun Devils in total tackles (87) and solo stops (44). Rowser’s defended four passes but hasn’t snared an interception this season. The former New Mexico State transfer’s notched one sack this season and excels against the run while remaining solid in pass coverage. Rowser’s nickname is “Ghost,” and he serves as the perfect bookend to fellow transfer safety Xavion Alford, who’s second on the team in tackles with 75 and is tied for first in interceptions with two.
LB Caleb McCullough
The 6-2, 225-pound senior from Oxnard, Calif., entered the program as a developmental player. He slowly became a special teams star and has now emerged as an anchor of Arizona State’s defense. He ranks third on the team in tackles with 68 and is tied for first in interceptions with two. Both of those key takeaways fueled an upset win over then-No. 16 Utah in early October.
