Everything Kenny Dillingham, Arizona State players said after 2OT ...

5 days ago

Devils in Detail

Everything Kenny Dillingham Arizona State players said after 2OT

Arizona State may have lost to Texas in the College Football Playoff's Peach Bowl quarterfinal, but their heart and effort will be remembered by many after how

Arizona State may have lost to Texas in the College Football Playoff's Peach Bowl quarterfinal, but their heart and effort will be remembered by many after how entertaining the game was. In the end, the Sun Devils fell in double overtime, 39-31, to the Longhorns.

This Peach Bowl will be remembered for a lot of things, but namely the Herculean performance of Cam Skattebo and the highly controversial targeting no-call. Unsurprisingly, it didn't take long for reporters to ask coach Kenny Dillingham about either in the post-game press conference, starting with the targeting decision.

Dillingham on the review for targeting on Texas that was not ultimately ruled targeting: "I'm going to be honest. I just don't know what targeting is. I don't want to comment on something that I have to get a better grasp on what it is."
— Chris Karpman (@ChrisKarpman) January 1, 2025

Dillingham mostly side-stepped the question, but his answer is surely how everyone else felt after the officials ruled there was no targeting on the play.

Dillingham also took the high road by pinning the blame for the loss on himself while also praising his players.

Kenny Dillingham takes full responsibility for ASU's loss to Texas:

"Our guys played good enough to win. Our guys battled good enough to win. This game's 100% on me."@SunDevilSource pic.twitter.com/kq3AkaKPjm
— Blake Niemann (@Blakes_Take2) January 1, 2025

Dillingham on ASU's first-half offense: "I gotta do a much better job with formations and leverages" to put them in position to be successful.
— Chris Karpman (@ChrisKarpman) January 1, 2025

Dillingham also had a very classy response when asked about making sure his players remained on the field to shake the Longhorns players' hands even after the heartbreaking loss.

Despite the loss, @ASUFootball's Kenny Dillingham made sure his players shook Texas' hands after the game ???? pic.twitter.com/7ZBbQ51Pxc
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) January 1, 2025

Skattebo, who put up an all-time best performance and was named Peach Bowl MVP despite losing, also offered some passionate comments on what Arizona State has meant to him.

An emotional Cam Skattebo on what its meant to him to be a Sun Devil:

"ASU's changed my life forever."@SunDevilSource pic.twitter.com/CyllBk3TmX
— Blake Niemann (@Blakes_Take2) January 1, 2025

When asked about reports of Skattebo vomiting in the first half, Skattebo offered up an explanation. Dillingham also chimed in with a phrase that any Arizona State alum knows all too well.

Skattebo on feeling ill in the first half: "Yeah I mean, I threw up. I kind of drank too much water too fast and felt a little sloshie."

Dillingham: "Puke and rally."
— Chris Karpman (@ChrisKarpman) January 1, 2025

Skattebo also went out of his way to compliment both Dillingham and Sam Leavitt, his freshman quarterback.

Cam Skattebo said the journey for him, Sam Leavitt, and Kenny Dillingham has only just begun:

"Coach Dillingham's got the longest future in coach history. This kid next to me, he's gonna play on Sundays. I'm gonna play on Sundays ... This is just the beginning."@DevilsDigest pic.twitter.com/4b6LfLyKxi
— Justin LaCertosa (@LaCertosaSports) January 1, 2025

Meanwhile, Leavitt offered up a predictably emotional response after such a hard-fought game.

Sam Leavitt’s first postgame comments were extremely emotional as would be expected. pic.twitter.com/fOGV2mj6vU
— Chris Karpman (@ChrisKarpman) January 1, 2025

Defensive tackle CJ Fite and guard Ben Coleman, two impact players who will be returning next year, had some comments about the team's resiliency and how they can carry this over into next season.

“One thing about this team, we always fight.”

An emotional C.J. Fite reflects on ASU’s impactful season. pic.twitter.com/lH9OtJH239
— PHNX Sun Devils (@PHNX_SunDevils) January 1, 2025

Ben Coleman gets it.

Even after an emotionally draining loss, he fully understands what it can mean for the future of ASU football.

"The truth is, we have to build on top of that... You have to take that with you."@benjiicoleman | @12SportsAZ pic.twitter.com/vxl2o61L0t
— Jake García (@Jake_M_Garcia) January 1, 2025

Finally, Graham Rossini - the brand new Arizona State athletics director who just inked a contract extension for Dillingham on New Year's Eve - posted his tribute to a Sun Devil football team that will go down in history.

Sun Devils are resilient, innovative, gritty, passionate and respond. The nation saw that today.

Thank to our fans, our university, and our community for the incredible support along this amazing journey.

This coaching staff and these young men will go down as some of the…
— Graham Rossini (@GrahamRossini) January 1, 2025