Arizona State’s Cam Skattebo Backs Up His Texas-Sized Pregame Talk With MVP Performance

Cam Skattebo (4) of the Arizona State Sun Devils reacts during overtime against the Texas Longhorns in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Ga., on Jan. 1, 2025. Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

Neither a big Texas lead nor throwing up on the sideline stopped Arizona State senior running back Cam Skattebo from executing his strong pregame talk.

Skattebo talked up his ability ahead of Saturday’s Peach Bowl, which culminated with the statement, “There’s nobody out there that can stop me,” during Monday’s press conference. He followed it up by rallying the No. 4 Sun Devils (11–3) from 24–8 down to force overtime against the No. 5 Longhorns (13–2) and won the Peach Bowl MVP in the process despite a 39–31 loss in two overtimes.

The spotlight on Skattebo continued throughout the game, including his sideline sickness and his displays of emotion on the sidelines. Arizona State head coach Kenny Dillingham, who already supported Skattebo’s strong pregame talk, deflected any negativity on his star running back after the game.

“If him being competitive and passionate on the sideline is a negative, then I’m in the wrong sport,” Dillingham told reporters afterward. “The kid’s competitive, the kid’s passionate, and if that’s a negative, then I don’t know what a positive because kids that care and kids that have passion and kids that believe is the exact reason … why we had a chance to win this football game.”

Skattebo rushed for 143 yards and two touchdowns on 30 carries, caught eight passes for 99 yards, and threw a game-changing 42-yard touchdown. His trick play score made it 24–16 in the fourth quarter with 6:31 remaining, and he added a 2-yard touchdown run and two-point conversion with five minutes left to tie the game. That was all after vomiting during the second half.

“I threw up,” Skattebo admitted to reporters afterward. “I drank too much water too fast, and I was kind of feeling sloshy and then felt better after.”

“I felt a lot better after throwing up and that’s when it all started,” Skattebo said. “I had a rough first half. I wasn’t feeling too good. In that second half, it was a different ball game.”

Skattebo put the Sun Devils ahead 31–24 in the first overtime on a 3-yard run. The Longhorns answered on fourth down with a 28-yard touchdown pass by junior quarterback Quinn Ewers to junior wide receiver Matthew Golden. Texas then went ahead 39–31 on a 25-yard touchdown pass to senior tight end Gunnar Helm in the second overtime. ASU got one last chance, but freshman quarterback Sam Leavitt got picked off near the end zone as the Longhorns advanced to the Cotton Bowl.

“This is just the beginning for us,” Skattebo said. “No matter what, these guys will be in my life forever. It’s awesome that I was able to play football for and with them.”

For Skattebo, it concluded a college career that took him from FCS Sacramento State between 2020 and 2022 to ASU from 2023 to now. He finished with 679 catches for 4,243 yards and 41 touchdowns rushing and 104 catches for 1,287 yards receiving and eight touchdowns in his stellar career.

“I’m gonna play on Sundays,” Skattebo said.