Rio Linda High School alumnus Cam Skattebo won Offensive Most Valuable Player Award for the 2024-25 Peach Bowl played in Atlanta on Jan. 1. Photo by Arizona State University Athletics

SACRAMENTO REGION, CA (MPG) - Rio Linda High School alumnus and former Sacramento State Hornet Cam Skattebo gave 110% in the Sun Devils' 39-31 College Football Playoff loss to the Texas Longhorns in the Peach Bowl on New Year's Eve. Skattebo transferred from Sacramento State University to Arizona State University following the 2022 season and just completed his senior year, culminating with the thrilling overtime loss to the Longhorns.

Skattebo’s frenetic “never say quit” playing style, he was famous for from his time as a Hornet, carried over to his time as an Arizona State Sun Devils and was exemplified by his Peach Bowl performance.

Over four quarters and overtime of the 2024-25 Peach Bowl, the 22-year-old racked up 284 total yards, 143 rushing, 99 receiving, and 42 passing. Skattebo’s Peach Bowl performance included two rushing touchdowns, a passing touchdown, and a two-point conversion. A herculean effort from the 5-foot, 11-inch, 215-pound senior running back.

Skattebo's performance was so great that despite being on the losing end of the game, he was named the Offensive Most Valuable Player of the Peach Bowl. It's the first time in 26 years that a member of the losing team has won the game's Offensive Most Valuable Player award.

Prior to the Peach Bowl, Skattebo had foreshadowed his game performance in his media day comments on Dec. 30.

"There's nobody out there that can stop me," Skattebo said. "If they're studying hard, there's a reason. I have full respect for them, because they understand what they're playing against, and that's why I love playing in games like this, because they constantly look at me as a threat, and that's something I've always wanted to be. And if I'm a threat on the football field against an SEC team that was the runner-up to win their conference, then I think I'm in a pretty good position."

In 2024, Skattebo had a breakthrough senior season, rushing for 1,568 yards and 19 touchdowns while catching 37 passes for 506 yards and three touchdowns. Making him the first Big 12 player ever to have at least 1500 rushing yards and 500 receiving yards in the same season and the first FBS player to do it since Christian McCaffrey in 2015. The star running back finished fifth in Heisman Trophy voting.

While Skattebo and the Arizona State University Sun Devils would have preferred to beat the Longhorns in the Peach Bowl and advance in the College Football Playoff, the Offensive MVP award is an admirable accomplishment for one of the nation's top running backs.