AP Player of the Week: Arizona State’s Cam Skattebo put up big numbers again in Big 12 title game
AP Player of the Week: Arizona State’s Cam Skattebo put up big numbers again in Big 12 title game
Arizona State running back Cam Skattebo (4) sprints to the end zone for a touchdown in the second half of the Big 12 Conference championship NCAA college football game against Iowa State, in Arlington, Texas, Saturday Dec. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/LM Otero)
Arizona State running back Cam Skattebo (4) sprints to the end zone for a touchdown in the second half of the Big 12 Conference championship NCAA college football game against Iowa State, in Arlington, Texas, Saturday Dec. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
Arizona State running back Cam Skattebo (4) holds up the most valuable player trophy after the team’s win against Iowa State in the Big 12 Conference championship NCAA college football game, in Arlington, Texas, Saturday Dec. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
Arizona State running back Cam Skattebo (4) carries the ball for a long gain after getting past Iowa State defensive end Ikenna Ezeogu (88) in the first half of the Big 12 Conference championship NCAA college football game, in Arlington, Texas, Saturday Dec. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty (2) runs with the ball against UNLV in the first half of the Mountain West Championship NCAA college football game Friday, Dec. 6, 2024, in Boise, Idaho. (AP Photo/Steve Conner)
Arizona State running back Cam Skattebo (4) sprints to the end zone for a touchdown in the second half of the Big 12 Conference championship NCAA college football game against Iowa State, in Arlington, Texas, Saturday Dec. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/LM Otero)
Arizona State running back Cam Skattebo (4) sprints to the end zone for a touchdown in the second half of the Big 12 Conference championship NCAA college football game against Iowa State, in Arlington, Texas, Saturday Dec. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/LM Otero)
Arizona State running back Cam Skattebo (4) sprints to the end zone for a touchdown in the second half of the Big 12 Conference championship NCAA college football game against Iowa State, in Arlington, Texas, Saturday Dec. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
Arizona State running back Cam Skattebo (4) sprints to the end zone for a touchdown in the second half of the Big 12 Conference championship NCAA college football game against Iowa State, in Arlington, Texas, Saturday Dec. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
Arizona State running back Cam Skattebo (4) holds up the most valuable player trophy after the team’s win against Iowa State in the Big 12 Conference championship NCAA college football game, in Arlington, Texas, Saturday Dec. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
Arizona State running back Cam Skattebo (4) holds up the most valuable player trophy after the team’s win against Iowa State in the Big 12 Conference championship NCAA college football game, in Arlington, Texas, Saturday Dec. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
Arizona State running back Cam Skattebo (4) carries the ball for a long gain after getting past Iowa State defensive end Ikenna Ezeogu (88) in the first half of the Big 12 Conference championship NCAA college football game, in Arlington, Texas, Saturday Dec. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
Arizona State running back Cam Skattebo (4) carries the ball for a long gain after getting past Iowa State defensive end Ikenna Ezeogu (88) in the first half of the Big 12 Conference championship NCAA college football game, in Arlington, Texas, Saturday Dec. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty (2) runs with the ball against UNLV in the first half of the Mountain West Championship NCAA college football game Friday, Dec. 6, 2024, in Boise, Idaho. (AP Photo/Steve Conner)
Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty (2) runs with the ball against UNLV in the first half of the Mountain West Championship NCAA college football game Friday, Dec. 6, 2024, in Boise, Idaho. (AP Photo/Steve Conner)
The Associated Press national player of the week in college football for Week 15 of the season:
Cam Skattebo, Arizona State
Cam Skattebo continued his late-season tear with 170 yards rushing, 208 all-purpose yards and three touchdowns in Arizona State’s 45-19 win over Iowa State in the Big 12 championship game.
The senior running back averaged 10.6 yards per rushing attempt and had three carries of more than 20 yards. His TD runs were from 3 and 2 yards and he had a 33-yard scoring catch. His 2,074 all-purpose yards are a program record.
Skattebo will go into the Sun Devils’ College Football Playoff quarterfinal with 22 total touchdowns and 19 rushing touchdowns, both tied for the school record, and he needs 75 yards to break the program single-season rushing record of 1,642.
Skattebo is player of the week for the second time this season. He was honored after the Sun Devils’ Week 2 win over Mississippi State for rushing for a career-high 262 yards and amassing 297 all-purpose yards.
Runner-up
Boise State running back and Heisman Trophy hopeful Ashton Jeanty rushed for 209 yards and a touchdown in a 21-7 win over UNLV in the Mountain West championship game. The junior running back became the program’s all-time leading rusher with 4,655 yards.
Honorable mention
Freshman Nolan Hauser made a 56-yard field goal as time expired as Clemson beat SMU 34-31 in the Atlantic Coast Conference championship game. His previous long field goal was 51 yards. ... Army QB Bryson Daily ran for 126 yards and four touchdowns on 25 carries in a 35-14 win over Tulane in the American Athletic Conference title game. ... Georgia backup QB Gunner Stockton, who replaced an injured Carson Beck at the start of the second half of the Southeastern Conference championship game against Texas, was 12 of 16 for 71 yards in a 22-19 overtime win. ... Clemson QB Cade Klubnik completed 24 of 41 passes for 262 yards and an ACC championship game record-tying four passing TDs. ... Oregon WR Tex Johnson caught 11 passes for 181 yards and a touchdown in a 45-37 win over Penn State in the Big Ten championship game. ... SMU QB Kevin Jennings was 31 of 50 for 304 yards and three TDs against Clemson.
Six stats
— Georgia has trailed at halftime in six of its 13 games. The Bulldogs have won four of them.
— Nebraska will end the longest bowl drought among power-conference programs — seven years — when it plays Boston College in the Pinstripe Bowl on Dec. 28.
— Arizona State and Indiana are among three power-conference programs since 2012 to increase their win total by eight games from one season to the next. TCU also did it in 2021-22.
— SMU’s loss to Clemson ended the Mustangs’ 18-game conference win streak.
— Ohio, which claimed its first Mid-American Conference title since 1968, has won 10 games in three straight seasons.
— Marshall’s 31-3 win over Louisiana-Lafayette was the largest margin of victory in the seven Sun Belt championship games and fewest points allowed by the winning team.
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AP voters: Aaron Beard, Pat Graham, Stephen Hawkins, Pete Iacobelli, Mark Long, John Marshall, Eric Olson, John Zenor.
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