Iowa State vs Arizona State final score, highlights: Sun Devils dominate to win Big 12 title

By the middle of the afternoon on Saturday deep in the heart of Texas, another team clinched its spot in the College Football Playoff.

In a matchup of the conference’s top two teams, No. 13 Arizona State rolled past No. 16 Iowa State 45-19 Saturday in the Big 12 championship game in Arlington, Texas.

Running back Cam Skattebo led the way for the Sun Devils, racking up 208 total yards (170 rushing, 38 receiving) and three touchdowns on just 18 touches (16 carries and two catches) in the win. Quarterback Sam Leavitt was stellar, as well, completing 12 of his 17 passes for 219 yards and three touchdowns, two of which went to wide receiver Xavier Guillory.

Arizona State ran away with a game that was tied at 10 with 11 minutes remaining in the second quarter. It capitalized on three Iowa State turnovers on its first three drives of the third quarter, turning each into a touchdown to outscore the Cyclones 21-0 in the period and roll out to a 45-10 lead.

With the victory, the Sun Devils secured a berth in the 12-team playoff. The biggest question now surrounding Arizona State is whether its 25-point thumping of Iowa State will be enough to lift it past No. 10 Boise State to become the fourth highest-rated conference champion in the playoff field, which would give it a first-round bye and an automatic spot in the national quarterfinals. At the very least, with an 11-2 record and a Power Four conference title to their name, the Sun Devils could move past an at-large team like Alabama and avoid being the playoff field’s No. 12 seed.

It was a matchup few would have envisioned entering the season. Neither the Cyclones nor the Sun Devils were picked among the top five teams in the Big 12’s preseason poll, with Iowa State at fifth and Arizona State in last place in the newly expanded 16-team conference.

For the Sun Devils, the turnaround was particularly drastic: After going 3-9 in 2023, coach Kenny Dillingham’s first season at the helm of the program, Arizona State finished 10-2 overall and 7-2 in conference play its first season in the Big 12, tying it with Iowa State atop the league standings.

Here’s a look at the score, updates, highlights and more from Arizona State’s Big 12 championship game victory against Iowa State:

Final: Arizona State 45, Iowa State 19
With a few kneel-downs, the Sun Devils secure the Big 12 championship, defeating Iowa State 45-19 to win a conference in which they were picked to finish last entering the season.

It’s the school’s first outright conference championship since 1996, when they went 11-0 in the regular season, won the Pac-10 and made the Rose Bowl with a team led by Jake Plummer and Pat Tillman.

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Rocco Becht throws TD in return to game
Rocco Becht came back into the game for the first time since taking the huge hit from Shamari Simmons and being evaluated by Iowa State medical personnel. He responds by leading the Cyclones 68 yards up the field in eight plays, including a first-down run on which he opted not to slide at the end.

Becht finishes things off by hitting Jaylin Noel in stride for a 25-yard touchdown pass. A Becht pass on the 2-point conversion is broken up, so it’s 45-19 with 7:32 left.

Becht returns to the sideline and doesn’t appear keen about some of his teammates tapping him on the head, given the part of his body that absorbed the Simmons hit. Would have to assume that’ll be it for Becht.

Arizona State pulls out Cam Skattebo and Sam Leavitt, puts in backups
If there weren’t enough signs this game was over, Kenny Dillingham just provided the latest glimpse.

The Arizona State coach pulls many of his starters, including Cam Skattebo and Sam Leavitt, and puts in its backups, including quarterback Jeff Sims, a former starter at Nebraska and Georgia Tech. The Sun Devils go three-and-out and punt, giving Iowa State the ball back with 10 minutes remaining.

Iowa State FG ends Cyclones’ scoring drought
After the Shamari Simmons targeting ejection kept its drive alive, Iowa State gets on the board, though it has to settle for a 24-yard Kyle Konrardy field goal.

The kick gave the Cyclones their first points since 13:51 remained in the second quarter. Since then, they had been outscored 35-0 by Arizona State.

Rocco Becht injury update
After absorbing the huge hit from Shamari Simmons on the fourth down, Rocco Becht has been taken back to the Iowa State locker room to be evaluated by Iowa State medical personnel, according to ESPN sideline reporter Katie George.

After his team finished the drive with a field goal, Becht returned to the Iowa State sideline. As the Cyclones returned to the field, so, too, did Becht, starting for Iowa State during its fourth-quarter drive with 10 minutes remaining in regulation.

Shamari Simmons ejected for targeting for Arizona State
On a fourth-and-3, Arizona State’s Shamari Simmons had a clear path to Iowa State quarterback Rocco Becht, who was hit hard and dropped for a 10-yard loss. However, upon review, the officials determined that Simmons was guilty of targeting, allowing Iowa State to continue its drive (with Becht on the sideline) and ejecting Simmons from the game. With the penalty, Simmons will now miss the first half of Arizona State’s College Football Playoff game.

It’s a notable loss for the Sun Devils. Simmons is the team’s No. 4 tackler and has three interceptions and two forced fumbles this season.

End of third quarter: Arizona State 45, Iowa State 10
A lopsided third quarter ends with Arizona State holding on to a commanding 45-10 lead after outscoring Iowa State 21-0 in the period. The Cyclones will have a fourth-and-3 from the Sun Devils’ 35-yard line when the fourth quarter begins.

Iowa State fumble leads to another Cam Skattebo TD
In what’s becoming a maddeningly familiar trend for Iowa State, another Cyclones turnover leads to another Arizona State touchdown.

Abu Sama’s second fumble of the second half gives the Sun Devils the ball at the Iowa State 38-yard line. Two plays later, on a third-and-5, Sam Leavitt swings a pass out to Cam Skattebo, who goes untouched for 33 yards and is basically able to walk into the end zone to push his team’s lead to 35-10.

Skattebo is up to 208 total yards — 170 rushing, 38 receiving — and three touchdowns on the day.

Xavier Guillory TD catch puts Arizona State up 28
This game is officially a rout.

Arizona State is yet again able to get the most out of an Iowa State turnover in its own territory, traversing the 26 yards to the end zone in just three plays, much of which is taken care of by a Sam Leavitt 21-yard touchdown pass to Xavier Guillory. It’s Guillory’s second touchdown catch in just 71 seconds.

The Sun Devils are now up 38-10 with 6:27 remaining in the quarter. The question is now becoming not who will win this game, but whether Arizona State has potentially done enough to jump Boise State as the fourth highest-rated conference champion…or at least avoiding the No. 12 seed in the playoff field.

Rocco Becht INT gives Arizona State the ball back
Iowa State’s first drive of the second half was prematurely ended by a turnover. Its second one was, too.

Needing a scoring drive of some sort to get back into the game, Cyclones quarterback Rocco Becht attempted a pass on first-and-15 from his team’s own 17-yard line, only for his pass to bounce off the helmet of one of his offensive linemen and end up in the hands of Keith Abney II of Arizona State, which will take over at the Iowa State 26 after an 8-yard return.

Arizona State adds another TD, goes up 21
What was a back-and-forth, closely contested game for much of the first half is starting to get away from Iowa State.

Arizona State is able to capitalize on the Iowa State fumble with an 11 play, 43-yard drive that was made possible by a Sam Leavitt 9-yard scramble up the middle on a fourth-and-6 from the Iowa State 39-yard line. Seven plays later, Leavitt finds an open Xavier Guillory for an 8-yard touchdown pass that extends the Sun Devils’ lead to 31-10 with 7:44 left in the quarter.

Arizona State forces Iowa State fumble, takes over in Cyclones territory
Trailing by two touchdowns, Iowa State had a chance to get back into the game with the opening drive of the second half. It wasn’t able to capitalize.

On a second-and-4 from his team’s own 43-yard line, Cyclones running back Abu Sama had the ball knocked out of his hands by the helmet of Sun Devils defensive back Javan Robinson, with Arizona State pouncing on the ball to take over at the Iowa State 43.

Halftime: Arizona State 24, Iowa State 10
With the Sun Devils up 14 at halftime — and with Ne-Yo performing, for anyone who wants to rekindle high-school dance memories — here’s a look at some of the key stats from the opening 30 minutes:

Total yards: Arizona State 317, Iowa State 194
Passing yards: Arizona State 147, Iowa State 108
Rushing yards: Arizona State 170, Iowa State 86
Yards per play: Arizona State 12.2, Iowa State 5.4
Yards per rush: Arizona State 10, Iowa State 5.1
First downs: Arizona State 14, Iowa State 9
Third downs: Iowa State 3-6, Arizona State 1-4
Penalties: Arizona State 4-33, Iowa State 1-5
And some individual stats:

Arizona State

Sam Leavitt: 6 of 8 passing, 147 yards; 5 rushes, 27 yards
Cam Skattebo: 10 carries, 140 yards, 2 touchdowns; 1 catch, 5 yards
Melquan Stovall: 2 catches, 85 yards
Iowa State

Rocco Becht: 12 of 19 passing, 108 yards, 1 touchdown
Carson Hansen: 6 carries, 35 yards; 1 receiving touchdown
Abu Sama III: 5 carries, 32 yards
Jayden Higgins: 4 catches, 58 yards
Another Cam Skattebo TD doubles Arizona State lead
The Sun Devils make the most of their final possession before the half and get a touchdown from — who else? — Skattebo.

The Arizona State star running back got Arizona State into the red zone on the first play of the drive, rumbling 53 yards to the Iowa State 19-yard line.

From there, yet another Sam Leavitt scramble goes for 12 yards down to the Iowa State 2. On the next play, Skattebo barrels into the end zone to extend the Sun Devils’ lead to 14, 24-10, with 31 seconds left in the half. Skattebo is now up to 140 yards and two touchdowns on just 10 carries.

Iowa State punts
The Cyclones’ drive doesn’t end up going anywhere, with a three-and-out forcing them to punt deep in their own territory. A 48-yard punt, along with a 10-yard illegal block in the back penalty, gives Arizona State the ball at its own 28-yard line with 1:40 remaining in the half.

Arizona State punts after Iowa State sack knocks it out of FG range
It took nearly 30 minutes of game time, but at last, we have a punt.

Arizona State appeared poised to take a multi-possession lead after a Sam Leavitt 43-yard pass to Malik McClain that got the Sun Devils down to the Iowa State 29-yard line, but Leavitt is dropped for an 8-yard loss on third-and-10, pushing Arizona State back to the 37 and prompting Kenny Dillingham to punt.

A 32-yard punt gives the Cyclones the ball at their own 10 with 2:46 left. Iowa State has a chance to double up as it gets the ball to open the second half. That sack could be a potential game-changer.

Iowa State misses FG
Iowa State embarks another long drive, but this time, it comes away with no points. The Cyclones go 47 yards in 11 plays, but Kyle Konrardy misses a 46-yard field goal attempt far to the left.

The field goal was set up after a controversial third-and-8 in which Rocco Becht escaped a couple of sack attempts and threw the ball near the pylon to Carson Brown. Brown was fighting through some noticeable contact from Arizona State defensive back Keith Abney II, but the officials don’t throw a flag for pass interference.

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