Arizona State gets good news on injury status of Heisman Trophy candidate
Nobody expected Kenny Dillingham's Arizona State football team to be playing meaningful games in November.
The Sun Devils, who were expected to win fewer than five games and finish in the cellar of the Big 12, have defied the odds by playing inspired football — and by following the lead of senior running back Cam Skattebo.
Skattebo's punishing style of play, explosive playmaking ability and selfless approach have paved the way for a stunning 7-2 start to the season. Entering Saturday's matchup at Kansas State, the Sun Devils have a legitimate chance to earn a spot in the Big 12 football championship game.
"Like I told our guys, I don't know if there's another team in the country who has a better chance to compete to win a championship right now, that lives in as good of a city, with as good of weather, that practices in the environment we practice ... I don't know if there's a better place to be anywhere than in Tempe, Arizona, where right now, currently, we're competing for something in 68-degree weather," Dillingham said after Wednesday's practice.
"Where else, literally, would you rather be?"
Skattebo 'Doing Really Well'
Despite their impressive season, the Sun Devils are 8.5-point underdogs to No. 19 Kansas State (7-2, 4-2). Skattebo, who missed last week's 35-31 win UCF with a shoulder injury, will be back in the lineup Saturday, according to Dillingham.
"He's doing really well. He's gonna play," Dillingham said. "I fully expect him to play this week unless something changes."
Despite that bit of news, the line has not changed and the Sun Devils are still massive underdogs.
"They definitely feel it," Dillingham said when asked about his team's underdog status. "I've showed them everybody who says that we're still not good and we haven't played anybody. I've showed them that we're one of the few two-win teams that still aren't ranked."
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Ben Sherman has been covering the sports world for most of his journalism career, including 17 years with The Oregonian/OregonLive. One of his favorite memories was covering the 1999 Fiesta Bowl - the first BCS National Championship Game - at Sun Devil Stadium.