The rule is simple with a genie in a bottle: three wishes. Senior running back Cam Skattebo produced three magical plays for the Sun Devils against No. 16 Utah on Friday.
Skattebo's highlight reel included a 50-yard touchdown run, an over-the-shoulder catch to convert a pivotal third down and a 47-yard touchdown run to give the Sun Devils a late eight-point lead.
The Sun Devils seemed to have one extra wish against the Utes.
Utah senior quarterback Cameron Rising took the snap on his last drive trying to tie the game. He let a pass rip to Utah senior receiver Mycah Pittman, but ASU senior linebacker Caleb McCullough stepped up for his second interception of the night, securing a 27-19 ASU win over Utah.
"It meant a lot for me just to know that we got the win," McCullough said. "I'm doing whatever I can to win. Iām not really a stat player, itās amazing. But at the end of the day, I just want to win."
McCullough started the night after junior linebacker Keyshaun Elliott was hit with a targeting penalty the week prior against Kansas. Elliott would be forced to miss the first half due to the penalty, and the coaching staff stuck with McCullough in the second half.
For good reason, he finished the game with 12 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss and two interceptions. ASU head coach Kenny Dillingham described the reasoning as "performance-based."
McCullough and the ASU defense were tasked with a tough challenge entering the game. Rising was coming off of a finger injury which kept him sidelined since Sept. 7. The defense stepped up to the task and held Rising to a 43% completion percentage and three interceptions.
The defense limited the Utah rushing attack to 4.2 yards a carry. The Utes average roughly 181 ground yards a game but only rushed for 140 against the Sun Devils, which Dillingham called a "decent" performance.
Skattebo had 22 carries for 158 yards and two touchdowns while adding 41 yards through the air. Skattebo was stuffed on a pivotal fourth down on the ASU 29-yard line with the team up 20-16, giving Utah a short field. The play didn't shake Skattebo's confidence on the next drive as he sealed the game with a 47-yard touchdown run.
"Coach Dillingham says big-time players make big-time plays," Skattebo said. "I tell them like I tell you guys every week. I tell them to give me the ball every play."
Redshirt freshman quarterback Sam Leavitt and sophomore receiver Jordyn Tyson seemed to pick up where they left off after the win against Kansas. Tyson racked up five receptions for 84 yards and a touchdown.
Dillingham has preached to the team about an "us" mentality, and the same mentality applies to how playmakers view production. Tyson and Skattebo, two key playmakers, were "playing together" and helped lead the ASU offense up and down the field.
That winning mentality ultimately led to chaos as the final knee was taken. Pandemonium broke out as fans stormed the field after the upset win.
"I would love to say this one win puts us on that level and gives us that consistency but it doesn't, right," Dillingham said. "It just shows that we're in the right direction, shows that we're trending in the right direction and shows what weāre doing is working."
Edited by Jack Barron, Sophia Braccio and Natalia Jarrett.
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Daniel is a senior studying sports journalism. This is his first semester with The State Press. He has also worked at WCSN, OC Riptide, 1550 Sports and AZPreps365.
