Anatomy of a comeback: How Cam Skattebo nearly led Arizona State to historic upset against Texas in Peach Bowl

Arizona State trailed by 16 points in the waning minutes of the Peach Bowl against the heavily-favored Texas Longhorns. The Sun Devils' star running back Cam Skattebo was largely stifled and found himself vomiting on the sideline. 

The Longhorns ultimately pulled off a 39-31 victory over the Sun Devils in double-overtime, but the final minutes of the 2025 Peach Bowl will go down in history for their excitement. Arizona State scored 16 unanswered points with a pair of touchdowns and two-point conversions, and Texas kicker Bert Auburn missed two field goals that could have iced the game. 

Here's how Arizona State got back into the Peach Bowl behind a historic effort from Skattebo, and how the Longhorns -- a 13.5-point favorite -- ultimately buttoned up to escape Mercedes-Benz Stadium with a win. 

Texas goes up

The Longhorns entered the fourth quarter leading 17-8, but quickly found the end zone thanks to a 13-play, 76-yard touchdown drive capped off by a scramble for a score by quarterback Quinn Ewers. Texas could have gone for a two-point conversion to make it a three-possession game, but Steve Sarkisian opted to simply kick the extra point. It would come back to cost them. 

For Arizona State running back Skattebo, though, the beginning of the fourth was a moment to forget. Skattebo was seen on the sidelines vomiting profusely and looked a little woozy when he came back onto the field. Arizona State trainers gave him plenty of fluids on the sideline as the top-five Heisman Trophy finisher tried to collect himself. 

Texas held a commanding 24-8 lead as Arizona State still had yet to reach the end zone even a single time. 

Skattebo's swing

The Sun Devils were running out of time as the clock ticked below seven minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. Facing fourth-and-two, Skattebo decided he had enough. It was time to take over the game. 

On fourth down, Skattebo took a toss on a sweep, then drifted backwards and pulled out the throw to end all trick-play throws: an absolute gem to Malik McClain for a 42-yard touchdown. It was the first touchdown of the day for Arizona State. Skattebo stood up and repeatedly mimicked shooting arrows into the sky. It was time. 

Two plays later, Arizona State's Javan Robinson picked off Ewers. On the first play, ASU quarterback Sam Leavitt connected with Skattebo, who broke multiple tackles to push a 62-yard reception. After a facemask by Texas safety Michael Taaffe, the ball was placed at the 8-yard line. Skattebo became one of the first players this season to convert on a goal-line run against the Texas defense. He astonishingly did it again on the two-point conversion. 

The game was tied.  

Huge no-call

Texas missed a field goal with only 1:39 remaining that would have given them the lead. Arizona State's offense struggled to take advantage, though. The Sun Devils faced third-and-15 at their own 38-yard line and Leavitt found Melquan Stovall for 10 yards. 

On the play, Taaffe appeared to crash right into Stovall with his helmet, a fairly egregious hit that everyone from social media to the rules experts expected to be flagged for targeting. After review, the officials decided not to, causing widespread confusion. 

The consequences of the call were massive. Had the call been made, an All-American safety would have been ejected from the game. The Sun Devils would have gotten a fresh set of downs. The ball would have moved to the edge of field goal range with a chance to win the game in regulation. 

Texas ultimately missed a second field goal to force overtime. Still, if the call goes differently, overtime may have never been necessary. 

Texas locks in

The Longhorns are one of the streakiest teams in college football. Sometimes, the streaks go your way. Facing fourth-and-13 with the game on the line in overtime, the No. 1 overall recruit and future NFL quarterback version of Ewers stood tall. 

Arizona State sent a heavy rush, but Ewers moved the lone safety and launched a bomb to receiver Matthew Golden over the top of the defense for an earth-shattering touchdown. On the very next play in double-overtime, Ewers found tight end Gunner Helm for an easy touchdown and hit Golden again for a two-point conversion. 

On the next drive, Texas safety Andrew Mukuba intercepted Leavitt to end the game and launch Texas to the Cotton Bowl. Texas could have easily collapsed after blowing a historic lead in the Peach Bowl. Thanks to senior leadership, the Longhorns survived. 

All-time classic

Even in a losing effort, Skattebo's performance in the Peach Bowl will go down as one of the best in the history of the College Football Playoff. When the dust settled, Skattebo had 143 yards rushing, 99 yards receiving, 42 yards passing and three total touchdowns. He also posted several key conversions and somehow, miraculously, played his best football in the fourth quarter. After the game, Skattebo was named Peach Bowl Offensive MVP in a losing effort. 

But for all the inconsistency, Texas deserves plenty of credit too, especially Ewers. His fourth-and-13 pass changed the game. His read-and-react touchdown scramble did too. There's no guarantee that a less experienced player would have reacted as impressively in those moments. 

Texas now moves on to play the winner of the Rose Bowl in the Cotton Bowl on Jan. 10. The Sun Devils fell just short. But regardless, Arizona State and Skattebo proved they belonged among the best in the sport.