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ASU football coach Kenny Dillingham explains his players’ thoughts
ATLANTA — Confidence vs. cockiness.
Most outsiders see Arizona State quarterback Sam Leavitt and running back Cam Skattebo as athletes who probably tip the scales toward the side of being cocky, but Sun Devils coach Kenny Dillingham went to bat for his players Tuesday morning, 24 hours before ASU’s Peach Bowl matchup against heavily favored Texas (12-2) at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Dillingham and Texas counterpart Steve Sarkisian took center stage for almost an hour here at the Westin Peachtree Plaza, fielding questions from the national media about their teams and the College Football Playoff quarterfinal.
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The Sun Devils standouts have not been shy in expressing their confidence in their abilities, and those comments take on a life of their own in social media circles.
Both players were interrogated about their comments when players were made available for Monday’s Media Day at the College Football Hall of Fame.
“Our players are just being themselves,” Dillingham said. “And I think a lot of times there’s a lot of how are you supposed to talk to the media, what are you supposed to say, and I just firmly believe in say what you believe.
“And I’m not going to try to prevent our players from saying what they believe.”
The coach then elaborated, saying Leavitt and Skattebo succeeded largely because they have always believed in themselves when others didn’t. Skattebo had to start his college career at FCS Sacramento State because he didn’t have any other offers. It wasn’t until he established himself there that ASU gave him a chance and he has transformed from unrecruited running back to an NFL draft prospect in two years in Tempe.
Skattebo had a breakout season, earning first-team All-America honors and finishing fifth in the Heisman Trophy balloting.
Leavitt wasn’t a coveted prospect, either. He started his career at Michigan State but left after the 2023 season because the coach who was hired there, Jonathan Smith, didn’t recruit him out of high school and they were both in the same state at the same time.
“If he (Skattebo) didn’t have that own self-belief … then who else would have his entire life?” Dillingham said. “So when he makes comments like that when people ask him a question and he gives you the truth of what he believes because his belief is what got him here and then people twist it on him as if he’s being cocky or confident, that’s not the nature of what he’s trying to say.
“What he’s trying to say is, ‘My entire life I was the only one who believed in me. I’m not changing that. So now if you ask me the question and I give you a real answer, it kind of gets twisted into this cockiness or confidence.’ … The reality is without him believing that his entire life, he wouldn’t be in the position he is.”
Besides his two stars being fueled by doubters, Dillingham said both are competitive, which also feeds into that narrative.
“I think just the honesty sometimes in today’s media is fun for people because they can take it and run with it,” he said. “And that’s what they should do. Everybody should take those comments and run with it because that’s what’s fun. That’s what sells.
“But those are just two really, really competitive people. It’s nothing about the opponent. It’s about their own self-belief.”
Plummer to serve as honorary team captain
Both teams will have an honorary team captain and ASU’s will be former quarterback Jake Plummer. Former All-America defensive back Aaron Ross will represent the Longhorns.
Plummer, a member of the College Football Hall of Fame, was a first-team All-American in 1996, finishing third in the Heisman Trophy after leading Arizona State to an 11-1 record that included an undefeated regular season and the program’s second-ever Pac-10 title and Rose Bowl berth. The 1996 Pac-10 Player of the Year was also a finalist for the Walter Camp, Davey O’Brien and Johnny Unitas awards as a senior.
Ross led Texas to a 44-7 record, with three bowl game victories and a BCS title in his time there. He totaled 205 tackles, 33 pass breakups, 10 interceptions, three forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. He was also the Longhorns’ top punt returner for his last three seasons, returning 76 punts for 893 yards, which ranks fifth and sixth respectively in the all-time Texas record book.
Freeman honored
Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman was named winner of the 2024 Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Award. The award is given to the coach whose program embodies the award’s three pillars: scholarship, leadership and integrity.
Dillingham was a finalist for that honor along with Army’s Jeff Monken, Oregon’s Dan Lanning and South Carolina’s Shane Beamer.
On the field, Freeman has led the Fighting Irish to a 12-1 record this season and a No. 7 College Football Playoff seed. Notre Dame is prepping for a Sugar Bowl showdown against No. 2 Georgia.
ASU football coach Kenny Dillingham sat down with us to give insight into his players’ mindset and motivations on the field. Check out what he had to say in this exclusive interview!
Stay tuned for more updates on ASU football as they gear up for their next game. #ASUfootball #CoachDillingham #PlayerMindset
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