ARLINGTON, TX — Cam Skattebo delivered a standout performance with 170 rushing yards, two touchdowns on the ground, and a receiving score as No. 12 Arizona State defeated No. 16 Iowa State 45-19 on Saturday in the Big 12 Championship Game. The victory secures the Sun Devils a spot in the inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff.
The Sun Devils (11-2, No. 15 CFP), led by 34-year-old head coach Kenny Dillingham, extended their winning streak to six games. In a remarkable turnaround, Arizona State rose from being a preseason pick to finish last in the 16-team Big 12 to becoming the conference’s sole representative in the playoff.
Despite a historic season for Iowa State (10-3, No. 16 CFP), which included the program's first-ever 10-win campaign, the Cyclones struggled after halftime. Arizona State capitalized on turnovers during Iowa State’s first three possessions of the third quarter, with freshman quarterback Sam Leavitt throwing touchdown passes on each resulting drive.
Leavitt completed 12 of 17 passes for 219 yards, including two touchdown passes to Xavier Guillory in a span of just over a minute. Skattebo added a 33-yard receiving touchdown, his third score of the day, which he celebrated with a Heisman Trophy pose.
Skattebo set a new Arizona State single-season record with 2,074 yards from scrimmage, combining 1,568 rushing yards and 506 receiving yards. His efforts began immediately with a 28-yard rush on the game’s opening play and culminated in short touchdown runs of 3 and 2 yards.
Iowa State quarterback Rocco Becht threw for 214 yards and two touchdowns, extending his streak to 17 consecutive games with a passing score. However, the Cyclones’ offense was hampered by turnovers and an inability to generate explosive plays, particularly in the first half, when their longest gain was just 19 yards.
Becht connected with Carson Hansen for a 3-yard touchdown on the game’s opening drive to give Iowa State an early 7-3 lead. His second touchdown pass, a 25-yard strike to Jaylin Noel, came late in the fourth quarter.
Wide receiver Melquan Stovall stepped up in the absence of injured star Jordan Tyson, hauling in a 63-yard reception on a critical fourth-and-1 conversion. Tyson, who had been a key playmaker in November, missed the game due to a left arm injury sustained in the regular-season finale.
The Sun Devils claimed their first outright conference title since winning the Pac-10 in 1996. The team’s eight-win improvement over last season is a program record, eclipsing the previous best of five. Arizona State is also one of only two FBS programs, alongside Indiana (11-1), to achieve such a dramatic turnaround this year.
For Iowa State, the season marked significant progress, as the Cyclones reached November undefeated for the first time since 1938 and advanced to their second Big 12 title game. However, the loss marked their second defeat in the championship game, the first coming against Oklahoma in 2020.
Arizona State is guaranteed a College Football Playoff berth as one of the top five conference champions but is expected to rank below Mountain West champion Boise State (12-1, No. 10 CFP). This will likely send the Sun Devils on the road for their first-round playoff game.
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