Texas’ ArlingtonArizona State, a 15th-ranked Big 12 newcomer, defeated No. 16 Iowa State 45-19 in the conference championship game on Saturday to earn a berth in the 12-team College Football Playoffs. Cam Skatteboran led the squad with 170 yards, two scores, and a touchdown catch.
After finishing last in their new 16-team league as the preseason choice, the Sun Devils (11-2), led by coach Kenny Dillingham, 34, will be the lone Big 12 team in the expanded playoff field. They’ve won six straight games.
Prior to turnovers in its own territory on its first three drives after halftime, Iowa State (10-3) was behind 24-10, already having the first 10-win season in the program’s 133-year existence. Arizona State took advantage of this by having Sam Leavitt, a freshman and former Oregon high school standout, throw touchdowns each time.
Skattebo converted a third-down swing pass into a 33-yard score, and he accentuated the 45-10 advantage with his second Heisman Trophy pose of the day. Xavier Guillory made touchdown catches of 8 and 21 yards in a space of 71 seconds. Leavitt passed for 219 yards on 12 of 17 plays.
Despite being among the top five conference winners and securing a postseason berth, Arizona State is likely to finish lower than Mountain West champion and No. 10 Boise State (12-1).
To the chagrin of Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark, who reiterated his sentiments prior to the championship game, that would give the Broncos a first-round bye and put the Sun Devils on the road for a first-round game.
On the game’s first offensive snap, Skattebo ran for 28 yards. He opened both of those drives with long, tackle-avoiding rushes, but his touchdown runs were only 3 and 2 yards. He set a single-season school record with 2,074 yards from scrimmage (1,568 rushing and 506 receiving).
He shrugged off one run after spinning away from the line from opponents for 47 yards. He then made contact at the line once again before swerving and wheeling past pursuing Cyclones to run 53 yards just before halftime.
In his 17th straight game as a Cyclones quarterback, Rocco Becht tossed a touchdown, including a 3-yard pass to Carson Hansen on their first drive to give them their lone lead at 7-3. Becht gained 214 yards and two touchdowns on 21 of 35 passes.
When linebacker Shamari Simmons was dismissed for targeting early in the fourth quarter, Becht was sacked on a fourth-down play and came back into the game.
LARGE PLAYS
The Sun Devils had many big plays even without their injured star wide receiver, Jordan Tyson. Melquan Stovall received Leavitt’s first pass, which was a 22-yarder, and he caught it for 63 yards to convert on fourth and one.
While Iowa State’s longest play was 19 yards, Arizona State had six plays of more than 20 yards, all in the first half. Jaylin Noel, one of the Cyclones’ two 1,000-yard receivers, caught Becht’s 25-yard touchdown pass late in the game.
Tyson hurt his left arm in the second half of the regular-season finale against Arizona. Tyson has 624 yards receiving in five games in November.
THE KEY LESSON
Since winning the Pac-10 in 1996, Arizona State has won their first conference championship unchallenged. After finishing 3-9 in its final Pac-12 season, it makes an outstanding Big 12 start. The previous school record was five wins; the eight-win improvement is a school record. The only FBS teams with eight-win increases over the previous season are Arizona State and Indiana (11-1).
For the first time since 1938, Iowa State entered November undefeated. After losing consecutive games, the Cyclones won three straight to go to their second Big 12 championship game. In the 2020 game, they were defeated by Oklahoma.
UPCOMING
Arizona State will learn its opponent and venue on Sunday as it moves on to the 12-team College Football Playoffs.
On Sunday, Iowa State will learn its bowl destination, which is most likely the Pop Tarts Bowl in Orlando or the Alamo Bowl in San Antonio.
— AP Sports Writer Stephen Hawkins
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