Arizona State star Cam Skattebo had a blunt message for Texas and its head coach Steve Sarkisian ahead of the College Football Playoff quarterfinals, insisting “nobody can stop me.”
Skattebo was the driving force behind the 11-2 Sun Devils’ unlikely run to the Big 12 championship and the No. 4 seed in the playoff. The senior running back has racked up more than 2,000 all-purpose yards and 22 touchdowns, earning him fifth place in the voting for the Heisman Trophy.
The New Year’s Day Peach Bowl clash with Texas (12-2), though, represents Arizona State’s biggest test to date. The Longhorns have the third-best defense in the FBS, giving up just 261 yards per game, and the focus of Texas’ gameplan is containing Skattebo.
But the California native has warned the Longhorns they have another thing coming if they think they can slow him down in the running game.
“They continue to keep saying that people are going to try to stop me,” Skattebo said. “There’s nobody out there that can stop me. We played in 13 games, and I’ve been the target on each one, so I’m not too worried. We’re going to play our game and play ball and see what happens there.
“If they’re studying hard, there’s a reason. I have full respect for them, because they understand what they’re playing against, and that’s why I love playing in games like this, because they constantly look at me as a threat, and that’s something I’ve always wanted to be.
“And if I’m a threat on the football field against an SEC team that was the runner-up to win their conference, then I think I’m in a pretty good position.”
Despite his stellar season, Skattebo was not invited to New York for the Heisman ceremony. Colorado star Travis Hunter took the award, with Boise State’s record-breaking running back Ashton Jeanty finishing in second. Oregon and Miami quarterbacks Dillon Gabriel and Cam Ward finished in third and fourth respectively.
Skattebo admits he felt stung by not ranking in the voters’ top four players in the nation, but a win on New Year’s Day will erase those feelings of disappointment. “I was like, we got bigger plans. There’s still more goals to achieve,” Skattebo said of his Heisman snub. “I was a little upset, but I’m not too worried.”
Arizona State offensive coordinator Marcus Arroyo, however, knows Arizona State is facing a new level of opponent when game time arrives in Atlanta. “We haven’t played against a defense like this,” Arroyo said. “They’re good from top to bottom.
“This is the best defense in college football right now, but to know what our guys are going to do against them in the matchups we’ve got to be patient, we’ve got to find our spots. You’ve got to be disciplined because you can’t go off script with this group. They’ll create negative plays. They won’t allow those extra yards that you think you can find somewhere else.”
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