TEMPE — Fans of both sides surely circled the Arizona State-Iowa State game on Saturday knowing it’d be a rematch of the 2024 Big 12 title game.
ASU ran away with the win last December, 45-19, largely off the strength of Cam Skattebo’s 208 total yards and three total touchdowns. Now that Skattebo’s with the New York Giants, Jordyn Tyson was in line to play the role of dominant threat as a skill position player after he missed the 2024 postseason (collarbone).
But with Tyson battling a hamstring injury, both teams had the chance to at least roll out the same signal callers from the previous matchup — but that was derailed because Sam Leavitt’s season is now over (foot).
Adding Ben Coleman (season-ending arm surgery) and Xavion Alford (undisclosed), who led ASU with seven tackles in the Big 12 title game, to the group of injuries leaves the Sun Devils without four of the six key player leaders that attended Big 12 Media Days.
Rocco Becht will still line up under center for Iowa State, but he won’t have his two star receivers, Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel, who combined for 12 catches, 179 yards and a touchdown. They’re both now on the Houston Texans.
Go beyond the health and the picture looks even less like the two teams at the top of the conference last year, as the Sun Devils and Cyclones have combined to go 1-5 in their last three games after starting a combined 9-1.
Sounding a bit more like two teams struggling just to get to the finish line than a Power Four conference title rematch?
“No, it’s a battle of two really good teams that are frustrated probably that we’re not winning more games,” ASU head coach Kenny Dillingham said Wednesday. “(Iowa State coach Matt) Campbell is one of the best coaches in our league, and he finds ways to win for a long time and he’s not an excuse maker.
“I hope from that perspective, it’s the battle of two teams that want to win a football game really badly that feel like they’re close and leaning in on that piece, not the other.”
Dillingham told Arizona Sports’ Bickley & Marotta on Friday that the depth built in to the roster to insulate for such absences is much better than two years earlier.
“The depth of this team has allowed us to get to a point where we’re 5-3 and still playing for something in November,” the coach said. “We’re still in a position to where we’re playing meaningful football … and I got a lot of confidence in our guys to go play their best football game.”
For Campbell, the development of young players who are being asked to play sooner than anticipated, mainly in the secondary where Iowa State has lost two starters to torn ACLs, is becoming more of a priority each week.
“There’s so many young players being forced into critical roles that you’re trying to catch those guys up, and you’re also trying to get your ‘A’ players to not feel like they have to overcompensate because of some of the unique challenges that obviously this team is facing,” Campbell said.
“The pride I take is watching our kids play, I couldn’t be prouder of the humans and the attitude, effort and intent that we’re playing with. It’s precision in detail and you’re gonna have that, and you got a mix of monumental youth in critical moments, in critical situations and … you’re asking a lot.”
Away from the secondary, running back Abu Sama III is questionable (undisclosed) as the Cyclones’ leading rusher with 544 yards. Carson Hansen isn’t far behind with 500 yards, and both running backs average over five yards per carry.
ASU-Iowa State kicks off at 10 a.m. MST on Saturday and can be heard on 98.7 and the Arizona Sports app. It will be televised on TNT.
