This is what the College Football Playoffs are all about.
The Peach Bowl between Arizona State and Texas was a total thriller on New Year’s Day, with the Longhorns escaping in overtime by a score of 39-31.
QB Quinn Ewers threw for 3 TDs and 322 yards in the victory. WR Matthew Golden was sublime — catching seven passes for 149 yards and a touchdown.
On the other side, the game’s MVP award was given to ASU all-purpose back Cam Skattebo. The ‘all-purpose’ tag is appropriate in this case. Skattebo rushed for 143 yards and 2 TDs on 30 carries. He led the Sun Devils in receptions (8) and receiving yards (99). For good measure, he also threw a 42-yard TD pass to Malik McClain on a trick play. In total, Skattebo accounted for 284 yards of total offense.
ASU mounted a furious comeback in the second half. Down 17-3 heading into the third quarter, the Sun Devils outscored Texas 21-7 in the final half. The game went to overtime, where the Longhorns pulled out the hard-fought victory.
We saw some utterly captivating moments in regulation before even getting to the extra periods. Texas kicker Bert Auburn — the most prolific kicker in program history — missed two field goals down the stretch uncharacteristically. One was missed with two seconds remaining which would’ve given Texas the win in regulation.
The most controversial moment came when Longhorns safety Michael Taaffe laid a massive hit on ASU receiver Melquan Stovall. It was a vicious shot, and it appeared as if it was a cut-and-dry disqualification for targeting. However, after the refereeing crew analyzed the play, it was deemed to be a legal hit.
Had the play been ruled targeting, ASU would’ve been in field goal position (with the game tied 24-24) with roughly a minute remaining. Presumably, the Sun Devils would’ve been able to bleed the clock to set up a game-winning attempt.
Instead, ASU was forced to punt the ball back to Texas. The play has been bandied about constantly on social media — with many believing that Texas caught a break in this situation.
Even with the loss, ASU should feel good about its season. Many projected the Sun Devils to finish dead last in the Big 12 prior to the year starting. Head coach Kenny Dillingham has been locked in with an extension and appears to be one of the best young coaches in the sport.
Most significantly, ASU outgained Texas — a purported SEC bully — in yardage 510 to 375 despite missing its best WR for the entire game in Jordyn Tyson. One could argue ASU also dominated the lines of scrimmage for the majority of the contest.
With this momentum, coupled with a probable bump in NIL resources from the fan base and boosters, the Sun Devils are in a good position to grow even further under Dillingham moving forward.
