Arizona State running back destroys defender at goal line
Cam Skattebo is one of the best running backs in college football. And he plays like a linebacker.
Arizona State's 5-foot-10, 220-pound senior running back makes a habit of seeking out contact and running over defenders with ridiculously hard hits.
He did it again on Saturday in the third quarter of Arizona State's Big 12 road game at Cincinnati. On a 1st-and-goal play from the one-yard line, Skattebo took a handoff from quarterback Jeff Sims on a play that looked like it was going nowhere. Two Cincinnati defenders had Skattebo corralled behind the line of scrimmage.
Somehow, Skattebo evaded both players, then lowered the boom on Cincinnati linebacker Jared Bartlett at the goal line, sending him sprawling out of bounds. The game had to be stopped as Bartlett stayed down for several minutes. He eventually walked off the field under his own power.
Watch the vicious hit by Skattebo:
Cam Skattebo into the end zone through traffic and with authority ⚠️#Big12FB | 📺 ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/TiVfmUtaJm
— Big 12 Conference (@Big12Conference) October 19, 2024
Skattebo entered the game sixth in the nation in rushing with 773 yards and eight touchdowns on 133 carries. He was the named the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week after rushing for 158 yards and two touchdowns in Arizona State's 27-19 upset of Utah last week. It was his third game this season with more than 150 yards rushing, and he is the first Big 12 player to be named Offensive Player of the Week three times this season.
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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.