TEMPE, Ariz. — On a day when the Arizona State football social media team unveiled a graphic touting running back Cam Skattebo for the Heisman Trophy, head coach Kenny Dillingham announced that Skattebo may be in jeopardy of missing this weekend's game against the University of Central Florida.
The team did not disclose the nature of the injury that could keep him off the field.
"He's doubtful to questionable for the game this week. We'll see how that transpires. He's not going to practice this week," Dillingham said.
Skattebo seemed to suffer the injury on a 19-yard run in the early stages of the fourth quarter. It was his 23rd and final carry of the game, as he did not take another snap after that.
His absence would be seismic for a Sun Devil offense that relies heavily on his rushing and receiving prowess, but Dillingham said his presence will still be felt.
"Whether he plays or not, he's going to make an impact on our football team because he's one of the leaders of the team," Dillingham said, underscoring why he believes Skattebo is a serious Heisman candidate. "If you're talking about a guy who's impactful on a team, this is a guy who's arguably the most impactful person on a team that had three wins last year. He helped transform an organization and I think that's powerful."
It was a powerful rushing style that has potentially put Skattebo on the shelf. For Dillingham, it could be the cost of the standard he has set for the rest of the team.
"The way he's playing hard, the way he's playing physical, the way he's been practicing up to this point, people emulate what your best players allow to happen on the practice field," Dillingham said. "To be honest, he's unrecognizable in my eyes from this year to last year."
Arizona sports
The city of Phoenix is home to four major professional sports league teams; The NFL's Arizona Cardinals, NBA's Phoenix Suns, WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury and MLB's Arizona Diamondbacks.
The Cardinals have made State Farm Stadium in Glendale their home turf and the Footprint Center in downtown Phoenix is home to both the Suns and the Mercury. The Indoor Football League’s Arizona Rattlers play at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale.
Phoenix also has a soccer team with the USL's Phoenix Rising FC, who play at Phoenix Rising FC Stadium in Phoenix.
The Valley hosts multiple major sporting events every year, including college football's Fiesta Bowl and Guaranteed Rate Bowl; the PGA Tour’s highest-attended event, the WM Phoenix Open; NASCAR events each spring and fall, including Championship Weekend in November; and Cactus League Spring Training for 15 Major League Baseball franchises.
