Cam Skattebo looked dominant in the first two weeks of the 2024 season. The senior running back gained a total of 311 rushing yards and averaged 7.1 yards per carry against Wyoming and Mississippi State.
But the impressive production hasn't kept pace for Skattebo. In the Sun Devils' last two contests against Texas State and Texas Tech, Skattebo gained a total of 122 rushing yards, averaging only 2.9 yards per carry.
What might be most concerning about Skattebo's drop in production is that he's barely getting fewer touches. In ASU's first two games, Skattebo saw 44 carries. In ASU's last two games, he's seen 42.
Thus, Skattebo's recent struggles on the ground haven't been a matter of usage — they've been a matter of efficiency.
So ... what's contributed to the sudden change?
The simplest answer is that defenses have adjusted. Both Texas State and Texas Tech came out with specific defensive game plans that centered around stopping Skattebo. Texas State held Skattebo to 62 rushing yards through the use of bear fronts and run blitzes. Texas Tech held Skattebo to 60 rushing yards by playing an odd front with a weak overhang defender, who mirrored, shed blocks late and jumped behind zone runs over and over again.
Such game plans have halted the ASU offensive line, particularly the interior offensive line.
"The first two weeks, they (interior offensive line) were really good," head coach Kenny Dillingham said. "In the Texas State game, all the movement flustered us and made us too passive in the run game. We weren't as much thinking about how to double team and get to the second level and cover up linebackers. We were worried about how we would not give up a tackle for loss with all the pressure."
ASU has played four defensive schemes in each of its first four games, which might explain the interior offensive line's woes. In week one, ASU faced a defense with four down linemen. In week two, they played an odd front defense with three high safeties. In week three, they faced a blitz-heavy defense that ran a two-trap scheme. In week four, they faced an odd front defense with a weak side overhang defender.
"Those are the four core defenses in college football, really football in general," Dillingham said. "We've happened to see all four in four weeks. So there are some growing pains there."
But beyond the opponent comes a deeper, more internal reason behind Skattebo's struggles on the ground. ASU's offense hasn't been as fundamentally sound as it was the first two weeks. There have been more miscommunications on running plays.
"Those first two weeks, we were on the same page 100%," Skattebo said. "In the Mississippi State game, we were on the same page the whole game — and we were rolling. And then, (against Texas Tech), we had some miscommunications. We just got to talk those things out, stay on each other's side and play for each other."
To improve fundamentally in the run game, Dillingham stressed the importance of "pressing runs," which is when a ball-carrier disguises his intended rushing path for as long as possible to set up blocks.
Because ASU has a wide-zone rushing scheme, Sun Devil running backs, like Skattebo, need to do a better job of pressing runs so that offensive linemen can get to the second level and block linebackers for big gains, Dillingham said.
Ironically, what might help Skattebo get back on track the most is ASU's passing game. Because of Skattebo's early dominance, defenses have been cueing in on the run by playing from more one-high safety looks. This, according to offensive coordinator Marcus Arroyo, sets up the passing game for success.
"If you're going to allow us to have a two-high safety shell or give us a box that's an advantage to the run for us, what we have to do, and what we've proven so far, in my opinion, is that we can run the ball," Arroyo said. "So, you're (the defense) going to have to add a hat to the box. When you do that, the passing game opens up."
"The single coverage (one-high safety) becomes evident, the coverages become more identifiable in the passing game, the play-action game opens up, the seams come open, and then you see some of the elements of the offense start to really take shape," Arroyo added.
And if the Sun Devil passing game can find success against one-high safety looks, that will force defenses back into two-high safety looks, which is what Skattebo has succeeded against this season.
One positive result of ASU's recent running woes is that the team has plenty to learn from. With an entire bye week of preparation before facing Kansas on Saturday, there's no doubt Dillingham and Arroyo have been making adjustments to spring Skattebo in the running game.
"It's the little details," Skattebo said. "It's accidentally stepping left instead of stepping right, and we miss a block, and then defenders are in the backfield ... So we got to get those things fixed in practice. Once we get those things fixed and get guys on the same page, it's going to be dangerous."
Edited by Henry Smardo, Abigail Beck and Madeline Schmitke.
Reach the reporter at jwkartso@asu.edu and follow @kartsonis3 on X.
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Jack is a sophomore studying sports journalism. This is his second semester with The State Press. He has also worked at other student journalism organizations.
