Iowa State @ Arizona State Game Overview

The No. 15 Sun Devils can take the final step when they face No. 16 Iowa State in the conference title game on Saturday at Arlington, Texas.

Arizona State (10-2) was a newcomer to the league and expected to be overmatched after going 3-9 in 2023. Instead, the Sun Devils storm into December as arguably the hottest team in the conference, winning five straight games to end the regular season.

"I think that's the fun part is we've gotten here," Arizona State coach Kenny Dillingham said. "We're in a position to compete and win a championship. Not many people can say that at this time of year. Only two teams in our league can say that they put themselves in a position to win a championship and that's the significance.

"It's about all the challenge is to get to this point that you're one game away from accomplishing something that people said couldn't be done. That's significant."

Iowa State (10-2) regained its footing after their prospects for reaching the playoff shifted from certain to dire. The first 10-win season in the 133-year history of the program carried the Cyclones to Texas after they received some help from the teams ahead in the standings to end November.

The Cyclones won their first seven games and were left reeling from consecutive losses to Texas Tech and Kansas that erased them from the CFP rankings entirely. Iowa State recovered with three straight victories.

The program last won a conference championship since 1912. Their only other conference title was claimed in 1911.

With BYU and Colorado dropped by late-season upsets, Iowa State, predicted to finish sixth in the Big 12, now needs one more win to find itself in the playoff.

"It has been a crazy journey to get to this moment," Cyclones safety Beau Freyler said. "I couldn't give more thanks and praise to my teammates and the coaching staff, and everyone who's touched this program for all they've done to push us."

Iowa State is powered by a standout passing attack. Rocco Becht has 3,021 yards passing to join Brock Purdy as the lone quarterbacks in school history to top 3,000 in a season on two occasions. Becht has 20 touchdowns against eight interceptions and rushed for seven scores in the regular season.

Arizona State will be concerned with covering Becht's top targets.

Wide receivers Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel are the first duo in school history to top 1,000 receiving yards in the same season. Higgins has 80 catches for 1,068 yards and nine touchdowns; Noel has 67 receptions for 1,013 yards and six scores.

Cornerback Jontez Williams has four interceptions for a unit that has allowed 21 or more points on eight occasions.

But the Iowa State defense will face a huge challenge of its own.

Not many opponents were successful trying to corral Arizona State running back Cam Skattebo, the eighth-leading rusher in the FBS this season. He has 1,398 yards and 17 TDs on the ground along with 35 catches for 468 yards and two scores.

The biggest task can be figuring out how to bring down the hard-charging Skattebo.

"We know we can stop him," Williams said. "We can make it happen. We just have to do our job and get 11 (players) to the ball."

Arizona State's Sam Leavitt has three touchdown passes in four of five games since returning from a rib injury. Overall, he has passed for 2,444 yards and 21 touchdowns against five interceptions.

However, the Sun Devils will be without star receiver Jordyn Tyson. He injured his left arm during Saturday's 49-7 rout of Arizona. Dillingham said the player with 75 receptions for 1,101 yards and 10 TDs is out indefinitely.

Xavier Guillory is Arizona State's second-most productive wideout with 291 receiving yards, but Leavitt maintains he's not fretting over the loss of Tyson.

"I'm not worried one bit. We're out here today, and everybody's making plays left and right," Leavitt said Tuesday of who will step up in the title gam. "So I just gotta put it up there and trust my guys and let them make some plays and show who they are."

--Field Level Media