ASU Nation Sends Message to Cam Skattebo as Kenny Dillingham Now Looks Helpless

The Sun Devils fans are sorely missing Cam now. Kenny Dillingham’s squad came into Starkville as favorites, but by the time Mississippi State’s band struck up its second fight song of the afternoon, the narratives had shifted. No. 12 Arizona State, billed all offseason as a Big 12 contender, looked completely out of sync without their do-it-all back, Cam Skattebo. The offense stalled, QB1 looked overwhelmed, and the defense got no help.

Against an unranked SEC opponent, Dillingham’s group looked like the ones out of their depth. Sam Leavitt’s struggles were evident early and often. His first completion, a harmless four-yard toss to Jordyn Tyson with 13:00 left in the opening quarter, was followed by a 17-minute desert of incompletions until he finally connected again on a screen pass that actually lost yards. By halftime, his stat line was brutal: 5-of-15 passing for 30 yards, no rushing output thanks to sacks, and an interception. This performance was the kind that takes the air right out of the balloon.

The Sun Devils’ running game painted the clearest picture of how badly they miss Cam Skattebo. Q1 saw only 4 attempts for 3.5 yards per rush, against Mississippi State’s steady 14 attempts. Kanye Udoh was giving ASU a glimmer of hope with 68 yards and a touchdown, but the weight on his shoulders grew heavier with every drive. Even when Leavitt tried to improvise by picking up a first down with his legs, it was wiped out by a holding flag. Penalties had been ASU’s Achilles heel the previous week, but this time, their biggest problem was simply a lack of rhythm and identity.

And while the scoreboard tightened as ASU trailed just 17-10 midway through the third quarter, the eye test told a harsher truth. The offense felt lifeless in ways that go beyond X’s and O’s. Despite a final push in the last quarter, the Sun Devils lost the game 24-20. The problems had shown up early as Leavitt misfired on Malik McClain, then underthrew Jaren Hamilton on the very first drive, setting the tone for a passing attack that never found its legs. Kenny Dillingham revealed on the ESPN2 broadcast that starting RB and Mississippi native Kyson Brown was “dinged up” after just two carries for 11 yards, leaving the Sun Devils even thinner. It all added up to a nightmarish reminder: without Cam Skattebo, Arizona State looks like a team scrambling for answers.

Cam Skattebo! Where are you!

The fan base didn’t need a full four quarters to reach their conclusion. This was about Cam. The first comment cut straight to the bone: “The haters were right, Skattebo WAS the entire team.” And truthfully, it’s hard to argue. His ability to mask deficiencies last year is becoming more obvious with each empty series.

Another voice chimed in with a mix of sarcasm and longing: “Skattebo is very much missed lol.” The “lol” doesn’t hide the sting. Fans aren’t just reminiscing, they’re watching in real time as the backfield production vanishes without their former star.

Then came the blunt assessment that went viral among ASU Nation: “asu without cam skattebo: Abysmal Dogs–t.” No sugarcoating there. It’s the kind of raw frustration that tells you exactly where the fan base stands. For all the talk of depth and system, sometimes one player really is the fulcrum of a program’s fortunes.

Finally, there’s the myth-building in progress: “Arizona State really is nothing without Sac State legend Cam Skattebo.” Add in the sarcastic eyeroll of another fan recalling endless offseason hype and you see the collective mood of the fanbase is not one of optimism.