Dillingham: Big 12 title run with ASU football most special team he’s been a part of

TEMPE — ASU football coach Kenny Dillingham on Monday called his squad on its way to the Big 12 Championship Game the most special team he’s been a part of in his career.

“I just think the guys and the work they’ve put in and the relationships they have with one another is unique,” Dillingham said. “In an era where there’s different motives than there used to be, I think our guys’ motive being winning, and the competitive nature of ‘I just wanna win.’

“What I’m excited for is because they had that mindset, I think they’re all going to be individually rewarded. And that’s what college sports is all about.”

The latest individual reward came when running back Cam Skattebo earned his fifth weekly Big 12 honor after he rushed for 177 yards and three touchdowns in Saturday’s Territorial Cup win.

The head coach has continued to pitch Skattebo to be in the Heisman conversation, while acknowledging Colorado’s Travis Hunter and Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty are far ahead of other candidates. The finalists will be announced on Dec. 9.

“I think it’s the most impactful player … I don’t know of a player who makes a bigger impact on a program,” Dillingham. “He took a team that won three games and now they’ve won 10 that takes on his exact identity of him as a person.

“What he’s accomplished is something special and I think he should be talked about for that. Whether he should win it or not, I mean there’s two guys that are unbelievable right now. But whether he should be in the conversation, I don’t think that’s a question.”

Dillingham said the culture of “passionate, intense, physical, tough” that Skattebo has instilled across the program will stick around due to retention of leaders who continue to embody that culture, as well as recruiting the correct kinds of players to fit that culture, not just recruiting the best players regardless.

“It’s always about the kid on our roster, and I really believe if you treat your own people well, they’ll recruit for you,” he added.

What was the reaction when ASU found out it clinched the Big 12 title game?

After ASU had reclaimed the Territorial Cup in a 49-7 shellacking, the Sun Devils were riding back up I-10 awaiting a win from either TCU, Kansas State or BYU to punch their tickets to Arlington.

Dillingham, who says he always rides on the defense’s bus, was watching along and had the privilege of delivering good news to his defense (ranked fourth in the conference with 21.5 points allowed per game) as the team was about 45 minutes from the Valley.

“Right when the game was put away and TCU won, I made an announcement to the guys that we’re in the Big 12 title (game), and they were pretty fired up,” Dillingham recounted. “It didn’t matter the opponent we were gonna play, the whole goal was to get there, and that’s all we could control.

“Then you kind of woke up in the morning and found out who we got to play.”

ASU will play Iowa State in the Big 12 title game on Saturday at 10 a.m. MST in Arlington. Listen on 98.7 FM, the Arizona Sports app or online, or watch it on ABC.