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Despite being slept on all season long, Arizona State rode a six-game win streak into the College Football Playoffs, earning a first-round bye in the process. On the back of star running back Cam Skattebo, the Sun Devils will face Texas in the Peach Bowl on New Year's Day.
Skattebo, a fourth-year transfer from Sacramento State, ranked fifth in the country with 1,577 rushing yards on the year. He added 506 receiving yards and 22 total touchdowns to his resume. His 2024 campaign led many to see him as the second-best running back in the nation, behind Heisman runner-up Ashton Jeanty.
For Kenny Dillingham and Marcus Arroyo, everything starts and ends with Skattebo. Arizona State ran the ball at the 11th-highest rate in 2024, while Skattebo also ended the year as the Sun Devils' second-leading receiver, commanding over 17 percent of the total targets.
Yet, even with his season-long dominance, Skattebo will not be the team's X-factor in the Peach Bowl. Instead, look for defensive end Clayton Smith to leave his mark on the game.
Clayton Smith will be Arizona State's X-factor against Texas
Arizona State will enter the Peach Bowl as the higher-seeded team but will still be underdogs against Texas. The Longhorns have been mostly dominant all year long, beating every team except Georgia to finish as the SEC runner-up.
It comes as no surprise that in a Steve Sarkisian offense, the passing game is Texas' typical key to success. Despite occasional struggles, Quinn Ewers is still the engine of their offense.
However, if Ewers is to thrive, he needs time in the pocket. Only two teams did not give him that in 2024: Georgia and Vanderbilt. In Texas' two games against the Bulldogs, Ewers was taken down 11 total times. The Commodores got to him four times. No other team managed more than two sacks against him in a single game. As a result, Georgia was the only team to beat the Longhorns, while Vanderbilt gave them all they could handle in a narrow 27-24 loss.
Led by projected first-round pick Kelvin Banks Jr., Texas boasts arguably the best offensive line in the country. They have flexed their muscles more often than not, including allowing zero sacks against Michigan's front seven that included All-Big 10 talents Mason Graham, Kenneth Grant and Josiah Stewart.
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Quarterback sacks were not the strength of this Arizona State defense, as they accumulated just 21 on the year. Yet, when it came to generating pressure in big moments, Smith was always the player they turned to as a team. As a fourth-year transfer from Oklahoma, Smith is the most experienced member of the Sun Devils' defensive line. As a former Sooner, he knows a thing or two about Texas.
On the year, Smith led the team in pressures, pass rush win rate and sacks. He was also second on the team in total tackles for loss. None of those numbers were very impressive, but Arizona State needs him to lead them in the Peach Bowl. Without generating any pressure on Ewers, they will have a tough time trying to stop this offense.
Arizona State's defensive line will need to step up
While they need to be led by Smith, each member of Brian Ward's defensive front needs to elevate his performance. Ward's defense centers around his linebackers, but the defensive line needs to be at its best to beat Texas.
While Smith served as the team's emotional leader, his running mate, sophomore C.J. Fite earned the recognition. Fite was the only member of the defensive line to receive an All-Big 12 recognition, landing on the second team at the end of the season. A defensive tackle, Fite has been stout on the interior all season long. Beating Texas will require pressure off the edges.
Arizona State will benefit from having fifth-year defensive end Prince Dorbah in the lineup. Dorbah is in his second year with the Sun Devils after transferring from Texas. He was expected to begin the year as the starting edge rusher opposite of Smith but has dealt with injuries throughout most of the season.
Now as healthy as he will ever be, Dorbah's presence will be key. In just six games of 2024, he recorded 11 tackles, including two sacks. The main issue for Dorbah will be Banks, whom he will likely face for most of the game. That puts the pressure back on Smith.
Asking a defensive unit that struggled to generate pressure all season long to crack one of the best offensive lines in the FBS is not a fair request. It is just one that Arizona State needs to get done if they wish to pull off the upset and secure the biggest win in school history. It will all start with Clayton Smith.
