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    • Arizona State RB Cam Skattebo dominates in narrow win over MSU
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    Arizona State RB Cam Skattebo dominates in narrow win over MSU

    Vaseline Posted on

    After a strong first half, Arizona State nearly squandered an unprecedented lead on Saturday by beating Mississippi State 30-23.

    The Sun Devils led 27-3 at halftime and outscored Mississippi State in every offensive category, but they seemed to lose each other in the second half.

    “Even though it probably took three months of my life, our team needed it. We needed to get punched in the face,” Arizona State head coach Kenny Dillingham said. “To get punched in the face and have to get up, I was proud of that. And we got up with a vengeance.”

    Mississippi State scored 13 unanswered points in the fourth quarter, cutting the Sun Devils’ lead to just seven points thanks to an 80-yard touchdown from Kevin Coleman Jr. with 5:27 left in the fourth quarter.

    However, Arizona State running back Cam Skattebo — who was a stellar performer all game — made a crucial 39-yard rush after the 2:00 timeout and stopped a Mississippi State comeback, solidifying the win and putting the Sun Devils up 2-0 for the first time since 2021.

    “Me and the O-line had a talk on the sideline (before the drive), and I didn’t think anybody was going to stop us, no matter who it was,” Skattebo said. “I put my trust in those guys, they know I’m going to do my job behind them, and they made a great hole.”

    Skattebo has a day

    Arizona State showed its running game again this season victory over Mississippi State.

    Skattebo led the way, recording 262 rushing yards, the second-highest single-game total in ASU history. He also had three catches for 35 yards en route to the team’s first-ever win against an SEC opponent. The Sun Devils totaled 346 rushing yards, compared to Mississippi State’s 24.

    “They couldn’t stop us in that three-down front. We all felt disrespected by them in a three-down front,” Skattebo said. “You can’t come in here, put five guys in the box and expect to stop six.”

    A week after showing off his arm, ASU quarterback Sam Leavitt showed off his legs with 68 yards on 11 carries. He scored two touchdowns on the ground and finished 10-for-20 with 69 yards through the air.

    In two games this season, Arizona State outscored their opponents in rushing yards: 587 to 64, a testament to the team’s physical strength and their flexibility in attack.

    At halftime, the Sun Devils had 208 rushing yards, while limiting Mississippi State to -13 rushing yards.

    Defense steps up with another touchdown

    After scoring two defensive touchdowns in Week 1 against Wyoming, the Sun Devils added one more to their season total with a 1-yard fumble return touchdown by CJ Fite in the second quarter against Mississippi State.

    Fite, a true sophomore defender, used his body to keep the ball from going out of bounds, picked up the ball and ran with it upfield.

    “In practice, we set a standard in defense: If the ball comes out, go get it,” Fite said. “So I saw the ball, I went and got it.”

    The defense finished with three sacks and seven tackles, leading to the loss.

    Next up for the Sun Devils is a short rest as they take on Texas State on Thursday, hoping to get off to a 3-0 start for the first time since 2019.

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