Sun Devil Football Postgame Notes - Big 12 Championship

The ASU Victory...

• Marks the program’s first outright conference championship since 1996 (co-champion in 2007). 
• Gives ASU 11 wins in a season for the first time since 1996 (11-1) and just the sixth time in program history (Frank Kush four times, Bruce Snyder once).
• Marks the Sun Devils as one of just three Power 4/5 teams since 2012 to increase their win total by eight games from one season to the next (TCU ‘21-22, Indiana ‘23-24)
• Improves ASU to 4-0 against AP-ranked opponents this season. It matched ASU’s most wins against Top-25 teams since 2014 (4) and is tied for the second-most single season AP wins in program history (5 in 1986).
• Guarantees the team a spot in the 2024 College Football Playoff.

Milestone Watch

• Cam Skattebo accumulated 208 all-purpose yards, putting him over 2,000 for the season (currently at 2,074). He is just the 100th player in FBS history to accomplish that feat. Skattebo passed Wilford White’s program record of 2,065 all-purpose yards in a season set back in 1950. 
• Skattebo also broke ASU’s school record for most scrimmage yards (Eno Benjamin, 1,905). He has 2,074 all-purpose yards this season.
• Currently at 19, Skattebo needs one rushing touchdowns to set ASU’s school record in the category (Woody Green, 19, 1972).
• Currently at 22, Skattebo needs just one TOTAL touchdowns to set ASU’s school record in the category (22, Wilford White, 1950).
• Skattebo needs 75 rushing yards to break Eno Benjamin’s school record of 1,642 rushing yards in a single season (currently at 1,568).
• Sam Leavitt reached 2,500 for the season (currently at 2,663) and becomes the first Sun Devil to reach the mark since Jayden Daniels in 2019 (2,943).
• Keyshaun Elliott needs 5 tackles to reach 200 for this career (currently at 195).
• Myles Rowser now has 200 career tackles thanks to a six-tackle performance.
• Shamari Simmons needs 2 tackles to reach 250 for his career (currently at 248). 

Yes He Cam

• Cam Skattebo's four games with 200+ scrimmage yards this season tied with UNC's Omario Hampton for 2nd-most in FBS behind Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty's 7. It is tied for most of any Big 12 player in last 20 seasons with Chuba Hubbard, who also had four for Oklahoma State in 2019
• Skattebo's fifth game this season with 75+ rush yards in first half and third in a row. He is just the second Arizona State player to have 75+ rush yards and 1+ rush TDs in three consecutive first halves since at least 2007 (Eno Benjamin - 2018).
• Skattebo's 20 TDs from scrimmage this season are the most by ASU player in a single season since Marion Grice had 20 in 2013. His 18 rush TDs are the most by an ASU player since Cameron Marshall had 18 in 2011
• His 140 first half yards were the most in a half in his career. It was also the first time a running back ran for over 100 yards in the Big 12 Championship Game since Adrian Peterson for Oklahoma in 2004. It was the most in a half in the championship game since Kansas State’s Darren Sproles in 2003. 
• Skattebo is the first FBS player with 75+ rush yards and 2+ rush TDs in three consecutive first halves since Toledo's Bryant Koback inNovember 2021.

Finding Paydirt
Skattebo ran for two more touchdowns, giving him eight touchdowns on the ground over his past three games. He now has 19 rushing touchdowns on the season, tied for the most in program history matching Woody Green’s historic 1972 season. He is one rushing touchdown shy of becoming the only Sun Devil to reach 20 touchdowns on the ground in a year.
 
Single-Season Rushing Touchdowns by a Sun Devil
19 Cam Skattebo, 2024
19 Woody Green, 1972 
18 Cameron Marshall, 2011 
18 Terry Battle, 1996 
17 Wilford White, 1950 
16 Eno Benjamin, 2018 
16 X Valladay, 2022 
15 Art Malone, 1968 
15 Ben Malone, 1973 
15 Rachaad White, 2021
 
Skattebo now has 22 total touchdowns (19 rushing + 3 receiving), moving into a tie for first in single-season program history. He passed Woody Green (1972) and Marion Grice (2012) on his tying Wilford White’s program record set in 1950.
 
Single-Season Total Touchdowns by a Sun Devil
22 Cam Skattebo, 2024
22 Wilford White, 1950 
20 Marion Grice, 2013
20 Terry Battle, 1996 
19 Woody Green, 1972 
19 Marion Grice, 2012 
18 Cameron Marshall, 2011 
18 Eno Benjamin, 2018 
18 X Valladay, 2022
 
Cam By the Numbers
- 263 Carries
- 1,586 Rushing Yards
- 19 Rushing Touchdowns
- 37 Receptions
- 506 Receiving Yards
- 3 Receiving Touchdowns
- 2,074 All-Purpose Yards
- 22 Total Touchdowns
 
Making History
Cam Skattebo's 1,586 rushing yards this season put him 2nd on Arizona State's all-time single-season rushing yards lists. Skattebo needs 85 rushing yards to pass Eno Benjamin's single-season program record set in 2018.
 
Single-Season Rushing Yards by a Sun Devil

1. 1,642 Eno Benjamin, 2018
2. 1,586 Cam Skattebo 2024
3. 1,565 Woody Green, 1972
4. 1,502 Wilford White, 1950
5. 1,431 Art Malone, 1968
6. 1,427 Freddie Williams, 1975
7. 1,313 Woody Green, 1973
8. 1,310 Woody Green, 1971
9. 1,299 Freddie Williams, 1974
10. 1,229 Ryan Torain, 2006

This was Skattebo’s tenth game going over 100 yards in his career.
 
Cam Skattebo Sun Devil 100-yard Rushing Tilts
262 vs. Mississippi State, Sept. 7, 2024 (33 carries)
182 vs. Kansas, Oct. 5, 2024 (25 carries/1 TD)
177 at Arizona, Nov. 30, 2024 (21 carries/3 TD)
170 vs. #16 Iowa State, Dec. 7, 2024 (XX carries/X TD)
158 vs. #16 Utah, Oct. 11, 2024 (22 carries/2 TDs)
153 at Oklahoma State, Nov. 2, 2024 (23 carries, 153 yards)
147 vs. BYU, Nov. 23, 2024 (28 carries/3 TD)
121 vs. Washington State, Oct. 28, 2023 (11 carries/1 TD)
111 vs. #4 USC, Sept. 23, 2023 (20 carries/1 TD)
108 vs. #16 Arizona, Nov. 25, 2023 (17 carries/1 TD)
 
Championship-Worthy Performance

• Cam Skattebo was named Most Outstanding Player of the 2024 Big 12 Championship Game.
• Skattebo accounted for 18 points and three touchdowns, both tying the record for the most at the Big 12 Championship. Last was in 2008 by both Chris Brown and Mossis Madu of Oklahoma.
• Skattebo is fifth player with 150+ yards and 2+ rush TDs in Big 12 CC and first since Adrian Peterson in 2004. 
• Leavitt is the second player with 3+ pass TDs and 1+ rush TDs in a Big 12 Championship Game, joining Texas' Vince Young in 2005
• Leavitt is the first FBS freshman to throw for 3+ touchdowns and rush for 1+ in a conference championship game since Florida State’s Jameis Winston in 2013.

In a Skattegory of his Own

• Skattebo is the only player in the country with 1,000+ rushing yards and 400+ receiving yards, even with a missed game.
• Skattebo is the first Big 12 player ever to have at least 1500 rushing yards and 500 receiving yards in the same season. First FBS player to do it since McCaffrey in 2015
• Skattebo is the second Big 12 player to record 100+ rush yards and 3+ scrimmage TDs in three straight games, joining Kansas' June Henley in 1996
• Skattebo first Big 12 player with 3 straight games with 3+ scrimmage TDs since Baylor's Corey Coleman in 2015

Starting Strong

• The Sun Devils have not punted on an opening drive this season and have scored on the first drive in nine of 12 games. They have touchdowns in eight of those (field goal against Iowa State today and Wyoming in the first game of the year), threw interceptions on the opening drives against Utah and Texas Tech and turned the ball over on downs against UCF.
• ASU has scored on the opening drive of 76.9 percent of its opening drives this season, good for third in the FBS (Army, 91.7/Miami (FL) 83.3)
• ASU has outscored opponents 101-13 in the first half of the last four games
• ASU’s average of 25.7 first half points in the last three games was the most in the nation coming into the contest. They put up 24 in the first half against the Cyclones.
• With the Cam Skattebo touchdown at the :27 second mark in the first half, ASU has now outscored opponents 87-16 in the “middle eight” of games - the last four minutes of the first half and first four minutes of the second half. 
• The score also marked the 16th touchdown for ASU in the final five minutes of a half (first or second) this season. ASU entered the game ranked fourth in the FBS in the category. 
• Iowa State entered the game allowing 156.9 pass yards per game this season - third-best in the FBS. Arizona State passed for 147 yards in the first half alone 

Finish Strong Also

• The 35-0 run for the Sun Devils matched the largest in Big 12 Championship Game history and the first since Texas over Colorado in 2005.
• The 21 third quarter points matched ASU’s most for a quarter this season and was just the second time it had done so in the second half of a game (Wyoming third quarter).
• Since 2018, ASU has held opponents to the 400 or less mark for total offensive yards on 45 occasions over 80 games (56.3 percent of the time) - including nine of 13 this year and today. For comparison, ASU accomplished the feat just 24 times in the 65 previous games (36.9 percent) from 2013-2017.
• ASU have  held opponents to 30 points or less in 53 of 80 games since 2018 (66.3 percent) - including 10 of 13 this year. This is notable as it DID allow 30+ in 32 of the 43 previous games (74.4 percent) in a span from 2013- 17.

Take it Or Leavitt

• Sam Leavitt’s 16 touchdown passes since the start of November (3 today) are the most in the FBS.
• Leavitt is the first ASU quarterback to have six games in a season with three or more touchdown passes since Mike Berocovici in 2015 (6). That mark is tied for second most behind Andrew Walter’s seven in 2004 for the most this century. 
•  It was his fifth game in the last six with three touchdown passes and no interceptions. 
• Leavitt’s 63-yard pass to Melquan Stovall on 4th-and-1 in the first quarter was his eighth pass of the season for 50+ yards, most in Big 12. The Only ASU player this century to have more in one season was Jayden Daniels in 2019
• It was was the most yards gained on a 4th and 1 play for Arizona State in the last 15 years (63) and the sixth-most yards gained on a 4th-and-1 in the FBS this season 

Longest 4th-and-1 Plays in FBS this Season
72-yard run by Pittsburgh vs California - 10/12/24
72-yard run by FAU vs FIU - 9/14/24
71-yard run by UConn vs Syracuse - 11/23/24
66-yard pass by Miami vs California - 10/5/24
66-yard run by UTSA vs East Carolina - 9/28/24
63-yard pass by Arizona State vs Iowa State - Today

Leavitt is now tied for 9th in program history with 24 touchdown passes this season. He needs four more to move into the Top-5.

Single-Season Passing Touchdowns by a Sun Devil
30 Andrew Walter, 2004
30 Mike Bercovici, 2015
29 Taylor Kelly, 2012
29 Mike Pagel, 1981
28 Taylor Kelly, 2013
28 Andrew Walter, 2002
26 Brock Osweiler, 2011
25 Rudy Carpenter, 2007
24 Sam Leavitt, 2024
24 Andrew Walter, 2003
24 Jake Plummer, 1996
24 Danny White, 1973

Leavitt has the second-most passing yards by a freshman in program history. He is now 281 yards away from establishing a new passing yards record for freshman quarterbacks at ASU.

Single-Season Passing Yards by a Freshman
2,943 Jayden Daniels, 2019
2,663 Sam Leavitt, 2024
2,273 Rudy Carpenter, 2005
2,137 Ryan Kealy, 1997
 
Chief Kief

• Cartson Kieffer is just the second FBS player in the last 25 years to have his first career field goal made (at the FBS level) come in a conference championship game (Tulsa's Chadd Evans in 2005).
• Arizona State is one of just seven FBS teams that has had three different players make a field goal this season (Auburn, Cincinnati, FIU, James Madison, Syracuse, Tulane) 

neXt Man Up

• In the absence of ASU’s All-Conference wide receiver Jordyn Tyson, Xavier Guillory caught a touchdown for the third-straight game after having just two touchdown receptions in his first 15 games at ASU.
• His two touchdown game was his most as a Sun Devil. 

We’ll Take That

• ASU’s two fumble recoveries and interception in the third quarter were its 20th, 21st and 22nd takeaways this season. The Sun Devils were 127th of 133 teams with just eight takeaways last season
• It was the first time having three takeaways in a quarter since the 2021 Southern Utah game and first time against a conference opponent since the Cal game in the fourth quarter of the 2016 contest. 
• The contest marked the eighth-straight game with a takeaway for Arizona State, the second-longest active streak among current big 12 teams (BYU - 13). It is the longest such streak for ASU since an 18-gamer between 2021 and 2022.
• ASU has outscored opponents 69-24 in points off turnovers this season. 
• Iowa State came into the game 17th in the country in turnover margin (+0.75). Arizona State won the turnover battle, 3-0, a key to the victory. It is the first time Iowa State has had a -3 turnover margin in a game since a loss to No. 3 TCU on Nov. 26, 2022.